Collaborative Efforts to Promote Technology Adoption by Healthcare Providers

Robert Mandel, MD, CMO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, reviews two large collaborative efforts to promote the adoption of technology by providers to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery in Massachusetts. The eRx Collaborative is entering its second year promoting the adoption of e-prescribing technology. With over 1000 prescribers already deployed and another 1000 in queue to be deployed over the next several months, this is the largest e-prescribing program in the country. The year’s experience has provided numerous lessons regarding the impediments and requirements for success. Additionally, the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative was incorporated in October 2004 with 33 member organizations and a stated goal of promoting the adoption of electronic health records (EHR) with imbedded decision support and data exchange capabilities. The organization is in the process of recruiting several communities to serve in demonstration pilots to identify optimal processes for implementation as well as to measure the impact on quality and cost.