D4 Published development or research report or study
Information Integration, Coordination Failures, and Quality of Prescribing (2020)

Böckerman, P., Laine, L. T., Nurminen, M., & Saxell, T. (2020). Information Integration, Coordination Failures, and Quality of Prescribing. IZA Institute of Labor Economics. IZA Discussion Papers, 13926. http://ftp.iza.org/dp13926.pdf

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Böckerman, Petri; Laine, Liisa T.; Nurminen, Mikko; Saxell, Tanja

Journal or series: IZA Discussion Papers

eISSN: 2365-9793

Publication year: 2020

Number in series: 13926

Number of pages in the book: 64

Publisher: IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Place of Publication: Bonn

Publication country: Germany

Publication language: English

Persistent website address: http://ftp.iza.org/dp13926.pdf

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/73617

Abstract

Poor information flows hamper coordination, potentially leading to suboptimal decisions in health care. We examine the effects of a nationwide policy of information integration on the quality of prescribing. We use the rollout of an electronic prescribing system in Finland and prescription-level administrative data. We find no effect on the probability of co-prescribing harmful drug combinations in urban regions. In rural regions, this probability reduces substantially, by 35 percent. The effect is driven by prescriptions from unspecialized physicians and from multiple physicians. Improving the local information environment thus enhances coordination and narrows differences in the quality of prescribing

Keywords: health services; digitalisation; prescriptions; electronic prescriptions; quality assurance; information administration; flow of information

Free keywords: health information technology; digitalization; e-prescribing; integration; quality of prescribing; public policy

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2020