Alexandria, VA-based SureScripts and St. Paul, MN-based RxHub, the nation's two electronic prescription networks, plan to announce that they are merging in an effort to encourage the adoption of their technology by doctors and patients. The companies say they hope the broader use of the technology will cut down on costs and medical mistakes. For about seven years, the firms have tried to persuade doctors to dump handwritten prescriptions in favor of sending prescriptions electronically, but doctors have been slow to adopt.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has turned to a Web-based technology to help obtain sample medications for patients.
The UPMC eSample Center will allow physicians to order medication through a "virtual sample closet" developed by MedManage Systems Inc. UPMC has begun sending letters describing the new program to its physician offices, outpatient sites, hospital-based clinics and pharmacies. Other letters are being sent to drug manufacturers inviting them to participate.
Increasing use of CT scans, formally known as CT angiograms, is part of a larger trend in American medicine. Faith in innovation, often driven by financial incentives, encourages American doctors and hospitals to adopt new technologies even without proof that they work better than older techniques. The story of the CT angiogram is a reminder of how difficult it is to rein in a new technology long enough to determine whether its benefits are worth its costs.
Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have joined with healthcare providers and insurers to lay out ground rules for protecting the privacy of online medical records. The guidelines are designed to reassure patients that they can enjoy the convenience of keeping their medical histories online without worrying that will open a door for outsiders to peruse the data without their knowledge. The "Connecting For Health" guidelines aim to give electronic PHRs at least the same level of protection already governing paper medical records, and also call for patients to be notified in a "timely way" if their medical information is released.
A Seattle-based study has shown patients with online help controlled their high blood pressure more than twice as well as those who didn't have extra resources, and they did it with fewer doctor visits. The clinical trial checked whether monitoring blood pressure at home and having regular contact with a healthcare provider through the Internet helped patients lower their blood pressure. The study began in 2006, and involved 778 Group Health patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
AT&T said it plans to expand nationwide an electronic health network it developed in partnership with Memphis, TN-based MidSouth eHealth Alliance and the Tennessee Governor's eHealth Council. The network is designed to reduce costs, improve quality of care, and put patients in control of their medical records.