Electronic Health Records Could Improve Prescription Accuracy for Senior Citizens
Leon Bronfin is a local, experienced agent offering a variety of Medicare products through partnerships with top rated carriers.
(prHWY.com) August 29, 2012 - Bellevue, WA -- Bellevue, Washington - 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 Washington Medicare 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.
Senior citizens tend to be particularly vulnerable to flu outbreaks and tend to need medical care more often than those in younger age groups. As many people are aware, flu is caused by viruses, and 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 Washington Medicare agent.
It is important for senior citizens to have access to Washington Medicare anytime they feel ill, as self diagnosing and self medicating rarely works. Leon Bronfin works with top rated carriers to offer comprehensive, affordable Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans and Medicare Supplement plans.
To help insurance shoppers determine which type of plan is most suitable to their budget and medical needs, Leon Bronfin provides an instant quote engine on his agency's website at
www.WAMedicareInsuranceAgent.com. Begin by comparing free quotes, and from there you can speak in-depth with a licensed agent about your coverage options.
About WA Medicare Insurance Agent
Leon Bronfin is a local, experienced agent offering a variety of Medicare products through partnerships with top rated carriers. Leo takes pride in customer service, providing clients with a free, no-obligation personal consultation to help guide them through the health insurance shopping process.
Contact: leon@WAmedicareinsuranceagent.com
WA Medicare Insurance Agent
800 Bellevue Way NE, S 400
Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone:
425.818.9915
###