Electronic Health Records Can Improve Prescription Accuracy

There are several companies out there selling health insurance. However, the agents at Preferred Insurance Group have the expertise and knowledge to help you find a plan designed to meet your particular needs and budget.

Louisville, KY (prHWY.com) August 29, 2012 - Louisville, Kentucky - Developing a tool that uses data from electronic health records (EHRs) to alert doctors to illnesses and symptoms in their community may help reduce instances of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing among Kentucky insurance providers, according to a study published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers noticed patterns that suggested doctors may have been influenced against prescribing antibiotics at certain times by knowledge of flu outbreaks in the local area, as the percentage of antibiotic prescriptions dropped during these periods. As many people are aware, viruses also cause strains of the flu. Viruses cannot be eradicated by antibiotics. This trend was one of the factors behind researchers' conclusion that utilizing EHRs to keep doctors informed of infections in their community could help reduce the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.

Researchers studied EHRs documenting 28,000 patients who saw one of 69 doctors at NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, Illinois during flu season from 2006-2011. The doctors prescribed antibiotics for patients complaining of a fever and cough or cold symptoms about 45% of the time. The problem with this practice is that many respiratory infections are in actuality caused by viruses. Not only do antibiotics fail to provide benefits to these patients, they could even cause adverse outcomes. You can learn more about medications and their effects on various illnesses by speaking with a Kentucky insurance agent.

It is important to have access to health insurance in Kentucky anytime you feel ill, as self diagnosing and self medicating rarely works. Preferred Insurance Group works with top rated carriers to offer comprehensive, affordable health insurance:

* Individual Health Insurance
* PPO Plans
* HMO Plans
* Fee For Service Plans
* Health Savings Accounts

To help insurance shoppers determine which type of plan is most suitable to their budget and medical needs, Preferred Insurance Group provides an instant quote engine on its website at www.PinsGroup.net. Begin by comparing free quotes, and from there you can speak in-depth with a licensed agent about your coverage options.

About Preferred Insurance Group

There are several companies out there selling health insurance. However, the agents at Preferred Insurance Group have the expertise and knowledge to help you find a plan designed to meet your particular needs and budget. We offer a variety of insurance options, from Medicare to group health insurance, so you are sure to find the coverage you need.

Contact: mark@med-link.net
2001 Lake Point Way
Louisville, KY 40223
Phone
877-334-1597

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Tag Words: health plans

Categories: Insurance

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