NEHI and Prescriptions for a Healthy America convene on HIT policy best practices discussion

2/3/2014

WASHINGTON — HIT policy needs to focus on specific goals for improving patient medication adherence in order to realize the goals of improving patient health and achieving cost savings in the U.S. healthcare system, according to an expert panel convened today by the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation and Prescriptions for a Healthy America.


In particular, the panel said the two highest priorities for HIT should be providing electronic access to accurate mediation lists and complete drug formulary information for prescribing physicians.


Just as important, according to the panel, users and patients should redouble efforts to win a realignment of payment priorities that will support utilization of numerous HIT capabilities that already exist but are lying dormant. 


"There is room in HIT policy for specific priorities that will sharpen the focus on patient medication adherence,” stated NEHI executive director Valerie Fleishman. "But our panel also made clear that much can be done to exploit existing HIT capabilities and existing sources of data that are not being utilized for  lack of payment support.”


The discussion took place Friday at “Connected Health, Better Adherence”, a roundtable at the Pew Conference Center in Washington hosted by NEHI, a national health policy institute, in partnership with Prescriptions for a Healthy America. The roundtable explored the potential of HIT to improve patient care, outcomes, safety and to lower costs through improved medication management and adherence. Speakers debated which innovations should be prioritized in technology adoption to meet the needs of all stakeholders. 


 

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