Two Medications Used To Treat A Disease

Two Medications Are Used To Treat A Disease One Is Appropr

Question 1 Two medications are used to treat a disease. One is appropriate 90% of the time, the other is appropriate just 10% of the time. Doctors tend to choose the appropriate medication 80% of the time. Out of 100 patients with this disease, how many will get an inappropriate medication? A-8 B-10 C-18 D-26

Question 2 Which of the following is true, regarding the use of EHRs in US hospitals and doctor's offices? A-There are only a handful of vendors making certified EHR systems for doctor's offices B-Most US hospitals are using all the capabilities of their EHR (they have reached "Stage 7") C-Canadian EHR adoption and implementation is far ahead of American healthcare E-Federal incentives have spurred the adoption of EHR, in the US F-One EHR vendor is approaching monopoly-like market share in US hospitals

Question 3 Which of the following health activities is NOT available, through many of today's patient portals? A-Patients can view their medical history, allergies and medication list B-Patients can request refills for a medication C-Patients can request an appointment with their doctor D-Patients can view and edit notes their doctor has written about them E-Patients can review laboratory test results

Question 4 EHR-led patient portals are now more popular than patient-driven digital repositories. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the popularity of EHR patient portals? A-EHR patient portals facilitate patients' requesting appointments or refilling prescriptions B-EHR patient portals automatically aggregate a patient's medical data from facilities across the country C-Doctors and healthcare systems frequently update EHR patient portals with new patient information D-Healthcare institutions sought to enroll patients in their portals, to qualify for federal incentives E-ED doctors rarely needed access to patient-driven digital repositories, when patients were unconscious

Paper For Above instruction

Electronic health records (EHRs) and patient portals have significantly transformed healthcare delivery, offering expansive features aimed at enhancing patient engagement and streamlining medical processes. However, their implementation and utilization vary across institutions and regions, influenced by technological, regulatory, and operational factors. This paper explores the efficacy and adoption of certain medications in disease treatment, the state of EHR adoption in the United States, and the capabilities and limitations of patient portals, alongside the factors influencing their popularity.

Analysis of Medication Appropriateness

The initial problem presents a scenario involving two medications used to treat a disease, with distinct appropriateness percentages. One medication has a 90% appropriateness rate, while the other has a 10% rate. With physicians choosing correctly 80% of the time, calculating how many patients would receive an inappropriate medication requires understanding the conditional probabilities involved.

If physicians select the appropriate drug 80% of the time, then for the medication that is appropriate 90% of the time, the probability that a patient receives the correct medication is 0.8, regardless of the medication's inherent appropriateness. Conversely, the probability that a patient receives an inappropriate medication depends on whether the medication prescribed aligns with its appropriateness profile and the physician's decision accuracy.

Given that the physicians tend to choose appropriately in 80% of cases, the misprescription rate is 20%. Applying this to 100 patients yields approximately 20 patients receiving inappropriate medications. However, since the question presents multiple-choice answers, the best estimate based on the average probability calculations suggests that approximately 10 to 18 patients might receive inappropriate therapy, aligning with options B and C, with the most accurate estimate around 10-18 patients.

U.S. EHR Adoption and Regulatory Influence

The adoption of Electronic Health Records in the United States has been driven primarily by federal policies, particularly the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, which incentivized providers to adopt certified EHR systems. Despite the proliferation of vendors, the market remains fragmented, and no single vendor has approached monopoly-like market share, contrary to some misconceptions.

Most US hospitals have adopted EHR systems capable of supporting advanced functionalities, although achieving "Stage 7"—the highest level of meaningful use—remains a work in progress. The journey toward comprehensive EHR integration is ongoing, with hospitals steadily increasing their use of EHR capabilities, including data analytics, interoperability, and patient engagement tools.

Comparatively, Canada's healthcare system has a different approach, with a greater focus on centralized health data infrastructure and nationwide interoperability initiatives, resulting in higher EHR integration levels in some regions. Nevertheless, the US's incentives have spurred widespread adoption, even if full utilization remains challenging.

Capabilities and Limitations of Patient Portals

Modern patient portals are designed to enhance transparency and patient participation in their healthcare. Common functionalities include viewing medical history, test results, medication lists, requesting refills, and scheduling appointments. However, these portals generally do not allow patients to directly edit their healthcare provider’s notes, preserving clinical documentation integrity.

Furthermore, many portals do not support automatic data aggregation from multiple facilities, limiting patients’ ability to Obtain a unified health record without manual data uploads. This is primarily due to interoperability challenges and data privacy concerns. Consequently, portal features often reflect institutional limitations rather than technological incapacity.

Nevertheless, the popularity of EHR portals is driven by their convenience in scheduling and refilling prescriptions. They are increasingly integrated into healthcare workflows, enabling patients to manage many aspects of their care without direct provider intervention. The assumption that portals automatically compile nationwide data or that doctors do not need access to patient-driven repositories when patients are unconscious is inaccurate; these are still significant barriers to realizing the full potential of patient portals.

Factors Influencing EHR and Patient Portal Adoption

Adoption rates of EHRs and patient portals reflect various factors, including regulatory mandates, financial incentives, technological readiness, and institutional priorities. The significant push from federal incentives has accelerated EHR implementation, with healthcare systems aiming to qualify for meaningful use payments to offset costs.

Patient-driven repositories, or personal health records (PHRs), complement EHR systems but are less prevalent due to interoperability issues and lack of standardized formats. Healthcare entities prioritize EHR portals because they directly fulfill regulatory requirements and improve operational efficiencies. However, the integration of PHRs is not widespread, partly due to patient privacy concerns and lack of provider integration.

In conclusion, while EHRs and portals have become integral to modern healthcare, their effectiveness relies heavily on technological infrastructure, regulatory environment, and user engagement. Continued advancements in interoperability and user-centered design are pivotal for maximizing their benefits.

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