A Clinician's Guide to Electronic Prescribing

The report, "A Clinician's Guide to e-Prescribing" was released on October 7, 2008 in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' National Conference on Electronic Prescribing, representing the first comprehensive, multi-stakeholder-informed "how-to" guide to help clinicians make informed decisions about how and when to transition from paper to electronic prescribing systems.

Developed by a collaboration comprised of the eHealth Initiative, the Center for Improving Medication Management (Center), the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, and the Medical Group Management Association, with the strategic guidance of a multi-stakeholder Steering Group comprised of clinicians, consumers, employers, health plans, and pharmacies, the guide is designed to meet the needs of two target audiences:

• The first section of the guide targets office-based clinicians who are new to the concept of e-prescribing, and who seek a basic understanding of what e-prescribing is, how it works, what its benefits and challenges are, and the current environment impacting its widespread adoption.
• The second section of the guide targets office-based clinicians who are ready to move forward and bring e-prescribing into their practices. It presents fundamental questions and steps to follow in planning for, selecting and implementing an e-prescribing system.

The guide also provides a list of key references and resources readers may consult to help make the transition to e-prescribing as smooth as possible.

Click here to access the report, "A Clinicians's Guide to e-Prescribing"

Click here to access the October 7, 2008 press release