Study: MU med mgmt. cuts ADEs

Hospitals that adopted five medication management components of Meaningful Use Stage 1 had a lower likelihood of adverse drug events, according to a study published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

Researchers looked at the frequencies of adverse drug events and the status of Meaningful Use attestation in Florida hospitals.

Data from the American Hospital Association Healthcare IT Database Supplement to the 2010 Annual Survey of Hospitals; CMS Hospital Compare website; and Florida State Inpatient Database were analyzed for the study.

The chances of a patient experiencing an adverse drug event were 63 percent lower in hospitals that adopted all five core medication management requirements under Stage 1, according to the findings.

The likelihood of a hospital-acquired adverse drug event was 53 percent lower for hospitals with three to four medication management functions; and 58.6 percent lower for hospitals with one to two medication management functions, according to the study.

The study also found that each averted adverse drug event could save a hospital an average of $4,790, or $267 million annually. As a result, the researchers calculated that hospitals could recoup 22 percent of their spending on health IT by avoiding such adverse drug events.