Dive Brief:
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Hospital electronic prescribing and medication administration (ePA) systems are becoming more common, but a new report found that ePAs can take longer and lead to pharmacists spending less time with patients.
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Pharmacists surveyed in the study published by BMC Health Services Research appreciated safety features in ePA, but worried about added medication risks.
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The report also found longer time spent on screening inpatient medication while searching for drug charts decreased.
Dive Insight:
Supporters point to how electronic processes can improve care coordination and reduce work for healthcare professionals. However, there are still worries about ePA causing barriers between providers and patients.
The new report found there has been limited study on how ePA is affecting staff, especially pharmacists. The study authors explored how ePA affects pharmacists' activities, such as patient interaction, working with other health professionals and potential medication safety risks.
EHRs and electronic prescribing are seen as ways to improve care coordination and lessen workloads. However, a recent PLOS One report pointed to issues with EHR design and functionality. The technology may build barriers between care team members and result in healthcare professionals creating workarounds, which doesn't lead to efficiencies.
There is also a common complaint that EHRs are leading to stress and burnout for providers. A 2017 Annals of Family Medicine study showed that more than half of primary care physicians' workdays are spent on EHR tasks.
As these reports show, technology has the potential to improve care, but can also come with added stresses and workload. As hospitals continue to evolve their digital health tools, leaders will have to figure out how best to streamline services without creating other barriers for providers in patient care.