Abstract
Medication reduction is the continuous process of identifying the lowest effective dose considering the patient's condition and any side effects. This approach is beneficial for all patients but most impactful for the geriatric population. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate medication reduction to improve the quality of life for patients and to reduce healthcare costs. The process relies heavily on the information available to healthcare providers, but this information is often spread across systems, such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and pharmacy systems, which are managed by different entities. Furthermore, the data across these systems are not always synchronized. Improved documentation and regular review of medications following CMS guidelines lead to enhanced patient care, better outcomes, and improved reimbursement for healthcare facilities. In this paper, we examine the role of IT in facilitating medication reduction, through a process view. Through discussions with physicians, analysis of EHRs, pharmacy systems, medication reduction reports, and input from nursing staff, we intend to develop a conceptual model for the IT-enabled medication reduction process. A comprehensive understanding of the process will help inform the design of systems and interventions that increase the effectiveness of medication reduction.
Recommended Citation
Varshney, Upkar; Singh, Neetu; Sarkar, Sumantra; and Varshney, Smita, "IT and Medication Reduction Process" (2024). AMCIS 2024 TREOs. 53.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/treos_amcis2024/53