HFMA NEWS

Hispanic adults from both poor and wealthy communities are much more likely than whites to be hospitalized for health problems that good-quality outpatient care can prevent or control, such as uncontrolled diabetes and heart ailments, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations among Hispanic Adults, 2006. Wealthy communities in this report have average annual household incomes of $62,000 or greater.

AHRQ’s analysis found that in 2006, Hispanic adults were more than two times as likely as white adults to be hospitalized for uncontrolled diabetes and its complications, and they were almost 1.5 times more likely than whites to be hospitalized for congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, and angina.

In wealthy communities, Hispanics were 1.8 times more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes complications and nearly one-fifth more likely to be admitted for heart ailments than whites. The ratios were similar in the poorest communities. Read the statistical brief.

The eHealth Initiative (eHI), in collaboration with the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the Medical Group Management Association, and the Center for Improving Medication Management (Center), issued a “how-to” guide to help clinicians make informed decisions about how and when to transition from paper to electronic prescribing systems. A Clinician’s Guide to Electronic Prescribing, released at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National e-Prescribing Conference in Boston on Oct.7, follows the agency’s decision earlier this year to offer financial incentives--beginning in 2009--to providers who adopt e-prescribing.

The guide is designed to meet the needs of two target audiences. The first section targets office-based clinicians who are new to the concept of e-prescribing and who seek a basic understanding of what e-prescribing is, how it works, and what are its benefits and challenges. The second section targets office-based clinicians who are ready to bring e-prescribing into their practices; it presents steps to follow in planning for, selecting, and implementing an e-prescribing system. The guide also provides a list of key references and resources. Download the guide.