When it comes to e-prescribing and medication management, I always underestimate some of the nuances involved with the process. While e-prescribing is one of the biggest healthcare interoperability successes, there is still plenty of work to be done to improve how medication is managed in healthcare today. To learn more about how far the industry has come, where we are at today, and what is still needed in the future, I sat down with Cam Deemer, CEO at DrFirst, and Nele Jessel, MD, CMO at athenahealth. Given that DrFirst works with 300 EHR and other health IT partners and athenahealth touches 20% of physicians in the US, they were able to offer some really detailed perspectives on the evolution of e-prescribing and what it still needs to be even more successful.
In the interview, we ask Deemer and Jessel how we got where we are today with e-prescribing and they shared some of the unintended consequences of how the system works. While both acknowledged the incredible benefits we have seen from e-prescribing, they also dove into a number of the challenges doctors, patients, and pharmacies face with our current approach. They both share how we need to redefine medication management and Jessel shares some of the ways athenahealth has worked with providers and patients to improve adherence and health outcomes.
Deemer discusses the ways the industry standards have helped make e-prescribing what it is today, but also how those standards have gotten in the way of innovation. He espoused a new approach that would respect the standards but would also allow companies like DrFirst and their partners like athenahealth to be able to continue to innovate beyond the standards. This would allow them to better meet the needs of prescribers and patients.
If you have not kept up to date on everything that’s happening with medication management and e-prescribing and some areas we could see improvement in the future, you will enjoy this interview with DrFirst and athenahealth.
Learn more about DrFirst: https://drfirst.com/
Learn more about athenahealth: https://www.athenahealth.com/
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