Investing Money into Meaningful Use: Know what to look for!

A report posted January 21, 2011 by iHealthBeat states, "Nearly 90% of U.S. hospitals will need to install or upgrade their electronic health record systems during the next three years to comply with the federal government's meaningful use requirements." Hospitals have the option to purchase a "ready made" from a vendor or to make their own. No matter what the case, be sure your drug information complies with meaningful use. While you are at, you might as well go above the requirements.

There are several components to look for drug information:dose range checking, pediatric dosing, drug calculators, medicine interactions, dosage precautions, clinical guidelines, drug interaction software, duplicate therapy, drug classifications, generic drug names, drug nomenclature and more. These are critical paths for an EMR build. But it's not just about the information. It's about who you select as your partner and who have seamless APIs which makes your drop easier.

Meeting with these vendors in person may help in picking the right partner. The HIMSS 2011 show in Orlando, Florida February 21 - 23 will showcase many of these partners, Lexicomp included!