Improving Outcomes for Chronic Illnesses through Electronic Prescribing

• Release date: January 31, 2010
• Expiration date: June 30, 2011
• Estimated time to complete activity: 1 hour

Target Audience

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of physicians, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other health care professionals with an interest in e-prescribing.

Statement of Need/Program Overview

About one-half of all Americans have a chronic condition, and about one-quarter have multiple chronic conditions. In less than 20 years, care for these conditions will consume 80 percent of the nation's health care spending. Chronic care management emphasizes prevention of exacerbations and complications utilizing evidence-based practice guidelines and patient empowerment strategies. Electronic or e-prescribing can help evaluate clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes on an ongoing basis with the goal of improving overall patient health. This activity will include an overview of e-prescribing and an illustration of how patient outcomes for common and costly chronic conditions are improved through e-prescribing with a focus on treatment adherence.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Define e-prescribing and its current implementation issues including clinical decision support
• List the benefits of e-prescribing and related processes to managing chronic illness
• Illustrate how patient outcomes for chronic illnesses are improved through the use of e-prescribing to increase treatment adherence
• Identify data requirements, exchanges, work flow, and other barriers to adoption
• Enumerate best practices for a successful implementation of e-prescribing

Faculty

Suzanne Berman, RPh
Director of Pharmacy Services
AHCCCS - Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System
Bio

James R. Morrow, MD
Medical Director
Professional Solutions
Allscripts
Bio

David K. Nace, MD
Principal
Health Strategies Solutions, LLC
Bio

Physician Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) and Impact Education, LLC. PIM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Pharmacist Accreditation Statement

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Credit Designation
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this continuing education activity for 1.0 contact hours (0.10 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
(Universal Activity Number –809-999-10-008-H04-P)

Fee Information
There is no fee for this educational activity.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) assesses conflict of interest with its instructors, planners, managers and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of CME activities.  All relevant conflicts of interest that are identified are thoroughly vetted by PIM for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies utilized in this activity, and patient care recommendations.  PIM is committed to providing its learners with high quality CME activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Method of Participation

There are no fees for participating and receiving CME/CE credit for this activity. During the period January 2010 through July 2011, participants must 1) read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures; 2) study the educational activity; 3) successfully complete the online posttest and; 4) complete the online evaluation form. Upon successful completion of online posttest (70% or better) and online evaluation, you will be eligible to download and print a statement of credit immediately.

Media

Internet

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM), Impact Education, LLC and AstraZeneca do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. 

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of PIM, Impact Education, and AstraZeneca. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other course of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.