Publisher Lisa Banket Editor Taren Grom Creative Director Marah Walsh EDitorS Carolyn Gretton Denise Myshko Kim Ribbink design associate Ariel Medel national account manager Cathy Tracy CIRCULATION Kathy Deiuliis Copyright 2009 by PharmaLinx LLC, Titusville, NJ Printed in the U.S.A. Volume Seven, Number Four VIEW is published as a special issue to PharmaVOICE, which is published monthly except joint issues in July/August and November/December, by PharmaLinx LLC, P.O.?Box 327, Titusville, NJ 08560. Periodicals postage paid at Titusville, NJ 08560 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to PharmaVoice, P.O. Box 292345, Kettering, OH 45429-0345. VIEW and PharmaVoice Coverage and Distribution: Domestic subscriptions are available at $190 for one year (10 issues plus VIEWs). Foreign subscriptions: 10 issues plus VIEWs US$360. Contact PharmaLinx at P.O.?Box 327, Titusville, NJ 08560. Call us at 609.730.0196 or FAX your order to 609.730.0197. Contributions: The VIEW and PharmaVoice are not responsible for unsolicited contributions of any type. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, The VIEW and PharmaVoice retain all rights on material published in The VIEW and PharmaVoice for a period of six months after publication and reprint rights after that period expires. E-mail: [email protected]. Change of address: Please allow six weeks for a change of address. Send your new address along with your subscription label to PharmaVoice, P.O. Box 292345, Kettering, OH 45429-0345. Call us at 800.607.4410 or FAX your change to 937.890.0221. E-mail: [email protected]. Important notice: The post office will not forward copies of this magazine. The VIEW and PharmaVoice are not responsible for replacing undelivered copies due to lack of or late notification of address change Advertising in VIEW or PharmaVoice: To advertise in a VIEW or PharmaVoice please contact our Advertising Department at P.O.?Box 327, Titusville, NJ 08560, or telephone us at 609.730.0196. E-mail: [email protected]. www.pharmavoice.com A supporting publication to Pharmavoice Volume 7 • Number 4 he time is ripe for a technology revolution across all sectors — marketing, sales, clinical, supply chain, etc. And the incentives to make the connections have never been greater — the need for cost reductions, improved efficiency, more transparency, audience (consumer and physician) acceptance, and, lest we forget, funds available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — or more important. According to Jennifer Covich, chief operating officer and interim CEO at the non-profit eHealth Initiative (eHI), there is a great opportunity to expand HIE efforts with the new funding coming out in 2009 and 2010 through the Recovery Act. “Cost savings and improved quality of care need to be better documented, so we can replicate what works and help create a healthcare system that connects clinicians and providers," she says. “We need to take advantage of this moment in time, when health information technology and health information exchange enjoy broad support. We might not get another." According to eHI’s new survey, the electronic exchange of health information between physicians, hospitals, health plans, and patients has increased substantially in the last year and is reducing the cost of care and positively impacting physicians. Migrating Toward Meaningful Use: The State of Health Information Exchange, a report based on eHI’s Sixth Annual Survey of Health Information Exchange, includes responses from 150 community-based initiatives and shows about a 40% increase in the number of advanced or “operational" initiatives exchanging information. Responses from operational initiatives demonstrate an increasingly positive impact on the efficiency of care while showing a real return on investment (ROI). According to the study, the number of organizations that reported being operational has sharply increased; 57 health information exchange initiatives reported being operational in 2009, up from 42 initiatives in 2008. Cost savings resulting from health information exchange were reported by 40 operational initiatives in a variety of areas. It appears that electronic exchange of health information also has had a positive impact on physician practices, allowing them to become more efficient without disrupting care. (To access the full report, visit the eHI Website at ehealthinitiative.org.) E-solutions also are having a positive impact on the commercial side of the business. A recent report from Manhattan Research’s Cybercitizen Health study notes that since 2005, the number of patients using the Internet to research prescription drug information has doubled to 102.3 million. Similarly, the overall number of e-health consumers who go online for any health and medical information has also grown significantly over the past four years; this market now stands at 157.5 million consumers, or 1.6 times the number of e-health consumers in 2005. The technology revolution is nowhere near reaching an apex; the challenge for all companies will be managing the vast amounts of data they will have at their fingertips. Taren Grom Editor letter from the editor A data exchange Send your letters to feedback@pharmalinx.com. Please include your name, title, company, and business phone number. Letters chosen for publication may be edited for length and clarity. All submissions become the property of PharmaLinx LLC.
