Attitude Towards Electronic-Prescription and Associated Factors Among Physicians at University of Gondar Referral Hospital: Institution Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Electronic prescription is described by the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as the broadcast utilizing electronic medium, of prescription or prescription-related information between prescriber, distributor, pharmacy benefit manager, or health plan, either openly or through an agent, including an electronic prescribing system. the aim of this study was designed to assess attitudes towards electronic prescription and associated factors among physicians at the University of Gondar referral hospital 2021. Gondar, Ethiopia.Methods: Hospital-based Cross-sectional study was used among (n=152) physicians who have involved with a response rate of 88.8%. Data were collected using structured self-administered questionnaires from August 1 to September 1/2021. The collected data were entered into Epi-info Version 7.2 and exported to SPSS version 23 software for analysis. Descriptive statistics using frequency and other summary statistics were using present socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of participants. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with dependent variables. Odds ratio (OR), with 95% CI and p value< 0.05 were computed to determine the level of significance.Results: Based on the operational definition the overall score of attitudes to an electronic prescription of physicians from the University of Gondar referral hospital was 76.8% [95% CI: 66.7-84.2]. Among the applicant variables for multivariable analysis two variables like age of the respondents [AOR: 2.48 (95% CL:1.055-5.830], and the monthly salary of the respondents [AOR: 8.29(95%CL: 3.002-22.89] had to have a significant association with electronic prescription.Conclusion and recommendation: The overall score of attitudes to the electronic prescription of physicians from the University of Gondar referral hospital was good. Age and a monthly salary of the respondents were significantly associated with an electronic prescription from the working organization university of Gondar referral hospital, and health care policymakers and hospital managers need to develop and institutionalize evidence-based widespread preparation of stakeholders especially prescribers and communications development earlier than its acceptance to build it doing well and victorious.

VOICE BASED PRESCRIPTION USING MACHINE LEARNING

Medicine side effects are the major problem in the world, due to wrong prescriptions thousands of people die every year. Most of these mistakes are due to illegible handwriting which leads to taking the wrong medicine or dosage. To solve this issue, a voice-based prescription came into the picture where the prescription is taken as voice input, and a pdf file is generated which is then emailed to the patient. This method can save wealth and life throughout the world, particularly in developing countries where the prescriptions are generally paper-based. The system proposed in this paper is for those doctors and hospitals that are still using a paper-based handwritten prescription. Keywords: Healthcare, Voice-based, Python, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Electronic Prescription, Text Processing, Electronic Health Record (EHR).

Strategies Adopted by Addiction Facilities during the Coronavirus Pandemic to Support Treatment for Individuals in Recovery or Struggling with a Substance Use Disorder: A Scoping Review

This review aimed to identify and synthesize strategies and actions adopted by addiction facilities to support and maintain treatment during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A scoping review was conducted using the following information sources: Virtual Health Library, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Literature. From a total of 971 articles, 28 studies were included. The strategies to maintain the care offer were telehealth/telemedicine, counselling/screening, 24-h telephone, webinars, conducting group therapy and support among users, adaptation for electronic health records, increased methadone/naloxone dispensing, restriction in the number of medication dispensing/day, and electronic prescription and home delivery medications. These strategies can be used to support health professionals in addressing the impact of the pandemic on the treatment of those in recovery or struggling with a substance use disorder when in-person treatment is not possible.

The Portuguese Model of Home Respiratory Care: Healthcare Professionals’ Perspective

Patients’ and carers’ views regarding the Portuguese model of home respiratory care were recently described, yet the complementary perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs) is still to be investigated. Thus, this study explored HCPs experience in the management of patients needing home respiratory therapies (HRT), and their perspective about the Portuguese model. A phenomenological descriptive study, using focus groups, was carried out with 28 HCPs (median 42 y, 68% female) with distinct backgrounds (57% pulmonologists, 29% clinical physiologists, 7% physiotherapists, 7% nurses). Three focus groups were conducted in three regions of Portugal. Thematic analysis was performed by two independent researchers. HCPs have in general a positive view about the organization of the Portuguese model of home respiratory care, which was revealed in four major topics: Prescription (number of references, n = 171), Implementation and maintenance (n = 162), Carer involvement (n = 65) and Quality of healthcare (n = 247). Improvements needed were related to patients’ late referral, HRT prescription (usability of the medical electronic prescription system and renewals burden), patients’ education, access to hospital care team, lack of multidisciplinary work and articulation between hospital, primary and home care teams. This study describes the perspective of HCPs about the Portuguese model of home respiratory care and identifies specific points where improvements and reflections are needed. This knowledge may be useful to decision makers improve the current healthcare model.

Time for change in practice of in-patient oxygen therapy: a period-limited, multidimensional approach to improve oxygen prescription compliance: quality improvement project at Hamad General Hospital, Qatar

Prescription of oxygen therapy has traditionally poor compliance across the globe and mostly given to patients on verbal orders leading to under or overuse. The British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines (2017) recommend that oxygen therapy must be prescribed. Our study aimed to assess the prescription practice of oxygen therapy for patients admitted to acute medical assessment unit and general medical wards at Hamad General Hospital, Qatar and to achieve 80% compliance of valid oxygen therapy prescription implementing the quality improvement model against the BTS guidelines.The prescription practice of oxygen therapy was audited between April 2019 and August 2019. Using a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) model of improvement and multiple interventions was performed in the eight PDSA cycles, including (1) educational sessions for residents/fellows/nurses, (2) introduction of electronic prescription, (3) emails, posters/flyers, (4) nurse-led reminders and (5) re-enforced teaching for new residents. Data were then collected using a questionnaire assessing electronic prescriptions and documentation. Our baseline study regarding oxygen therapy showed limited awareness of BTS guidelines regarding the documentation of initiation and further adjustment of oxygen therapy. There was a lack of compliance with oxygen prescription; none of the patients had a valid prescription on our computer-based prescription (Cerner). The duration, target range and indications of Oxygen therapy were documented in 25% (18/72), 45.8% (33/72) and 42% (30/72) patients, respectively. Oxygen was initiated by communication order only. In a total of 16 weeks period, the repeated PDSA cycles showed significant improvement in safe oxygen prescription practices. Following intervention, oxygen electronic prescription, documentation of indications for oxygen therapy, target oxygen saturation and wean-off plan improved to 93%, 85%, 86 % and 80 %, respectively.We concluded that poor compliance to oxygen therapy Orders is a universal issue, which can be successfully managed using small-scale PDSA cycles to ensure sustained improvement through multidimensional interventions, continuous reinforcement and frequent reassessments.

Electronic prescription as a driver for digitalization in Finnish pharmacies

Background Finnish community pharmacies have undergone digitalization during the past decade. The introduction of the electronic prescription has had a significant impact on pharmacy workflows, such as the dispensing process. This inevitably has significant sociotechnical implications. We examine the impact of digitalization on the dispensing process and the sociotechnical orientation of a pharmacy. Methods We utilize data collected in customer service situations in Finnish community pharmacies at two points in time: in the traditional workflow, when electronic prescriptions were not in use, and in the new direct dispensing workflow, which is the usual delivery model in the case of electronic prescriptions. We analyze this data in terms of changes in workflow efficiency. We also draw on existing literature to build a conceptual model for digitalization in the pharmacy sector from a sociotechnical standpoint. Results In the Finnish environment, the results, based on our study sample, show that with electronic prescriptions and the direct dispensing model, the delivery time for a single medication over the counter was reduced by 13%. The results also indicate that the process has become more predictable, as the variation in terms of the workflow lead time has decreased. Conclusions The results indicate that the dispensing process has become more efficient in terms of time and throughput as well as more technically oriented and predictable. From a sociotechnical perspective, the results indicate that the technical subsystem has strengthened, and pharmacies have adapted to the new technology in the dispensing process.

Impact of Electronic Prescription on Prescribing Errors

Aims: There are series of medical errors that can be prevented by taking precautions. Therefore, the study evaluates the impact of the electronic prescribing system on prescription errors. Study Design: A pre-post study design was conducted. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at outpatient pharmacy services of a teaching hospital in Jeddah city. Methodology: Prescriptions were evaluated for the presence of the essential prescription elements such as patient information, drug name, dose, frequency, strength, and other prescription completeness parameters. Results: In the pre-intervention study, 1182 handwritten prescriptions were evaluated, and 6627 errors were detected from these prescriptions. The length of the pre-and post-intervention period was two weeks each. The most prevalent prescribing errors were that of medications written without defined dosage forms were recorded 1653 (55.90%) time followed by prescriptions written by trade names 1493 (22.5%), without route of administration 1266 (19.1%), and without specified duration 1009 (15.2%). However, 1512 prescriptions were evaluated in the post-intervention study, among which 339 errors were detected. The errors included prescriptions written without diagnosis (5.09%), or without doctor’s name or stamp (1.52%), written by trade names (4.49%), without defined dosage forms (4.29%), and without specified duration (2.84%). Conclusion: The study concluded that E-prescribing eliminated prescription errors that resulted from handwritten prescriptions.

Regulatory framework and prospects for the implementation of the "Electronic Prescription" system in the Russian Federation

The article presents the results of a study of legal regulation of medicines in accordance with the statement on January 1, 2019 of the Federal Project Creation of the Unified Digital Circuit of Health Care on the basis of the Unified State Health Information System. The project involves pharmacy organizations, which are going to issuance prescription drugs in the form of an electronic document. The development of the Unified State Health Information System will require a lot of organizational and methodological work both on the part of the regional health authorities and pharmacy organizations. An analysis of the activities of pharmacy organizations in Saint Petersburg and the Northwestern Federal District that issuance prescription drugs made it possible to assess the level of preparedness to work in the new conditions. The developed measures necessary for pharmacies to work in the Electronic Prescription System cover infrastructural, functional and educational aspects and can be used as an appropriate action plan.

An audit of high-dose and combination antipsychotic prescribing across the general adult inpatient wards in Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

AimsTo review the number of prescriptions of regular high-dose antipsychotics and combination antipsychotic therapy across the eight general adult inpatient wards in Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and examine whether these prescriptions followed Trust recommendations for high-dose antipsychotic therapy (HDAT).BackgroundThe two main rationales behind prescribing HDAT are pharmacokinetics differ in individuals and so insufficient amounts of antipsychotic may reach the effect site at maximum dose in some patients and variations in the effect site between patients may mean higher doses are required to achieve therapeutic effect.MethodThe electronic prescription records for all patients on the eight general adult inpatient wards were scrutinised. 121 patients were prescribed antipsychotic medication. Any patients on a combination of regular antipsychotic medication or on HDAT were identified. Any patient on combination therapy or HDAT was studied to determine if Clozapine had been considered. The electronic notes of HDAT patients were analysed to ascertain whether tests recommended by Trust guidelines – BMI, blood pressure (B.P), pulse rate, ECG, FBC, U and Es, LFTs, serum prolactin, serum cholesterol and HbA1c level had been performed prior to initiation and following any dose increase.Result21 of 121 patients prescribed antipsychotic medication were on combination therapy. 11 were subject to HDAT. 8 of the 11 HDAT patients were on combination therapy. Clozapine was considered before initiating HDAT in 9 of the HDAT patients. Clozapine was considered in 13 of the 21 patients on combination antipsychotic therapy, but only two were initiated on Clozapine (combined with Olanzapine or Risperidone).100% of HDAT patients had an ECG prior to initiation of HDAT; only 36% had one after dose increases above BNF maximum. 100% of HDAT patients had their BMI measured before initiation. 91% had baseline B.P and heart rate checked. Of the recommended blood tests, 100% of HDAT patients had baseline FBC, U and Es, LFTs and serum cholesterol. Fewer patients had a baseline HbA1c level (91%) or serum prolactin (46%) measured.ConclusionPrevalence of HDAT across the general adult inpatient wards in the Trust was 9%, much lower than the 28% reported in the HDAT audit completed by the Prescribing Observatory for Mental Health in 2012. Patients within Mersey Care are more likely to be prescribed combination therapy than HDAT. Not every HDAT patient has been considered for Clozapine. There is a need to ensure Trust monitoring guidelines for HDAT patients are being strictly adhered to.