Insurer urges computerized prescriptions at Massachusetts hospitals

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts has announced that it will require all the state's hospitals to fully install a computerized medication ordering system within four years or face a loss of lucrative payouts from an incentive program promoting good-quality care. Currently, 10 hospitals in the state have fully adopted the computerized system that requires doctors to type in medical orders, including prescriptions, diagnostic tests, and blood work. The remaining 63 hospitals, mostly community hospitals, have been slower to embrace the new technology.