States that received grants from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to advance the use of electronic health records and e-prescribing programs confronted challenges other states are likely to face as they implement health information technology initiatives using funds from the Stimulus Bill. Read more »
Using Medicaid Transformation Grant funds, Alabama created a health information exchange system with clinical support tools and e-prescribing functions, called QTool. The goal is not to have QTool become the dominant electronic health record system in the state, but rather to have it serve as an electronic infrastructure linking together disparate data sources, so that providers know as much as possible about their patients. In a pilot test that began in July 2008, 50 primary care physician practices have been using QTool to manage care for their Medicaid patients. Use of the tool has gradually increased as the state enhanced the system, offered training, and increased financial support to help practices integrate the system into their workflow. Read more »
An audio interview with Justin Starren, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Marshfield Clinic's Biomedical Informatics Research Center Read more »
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