Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA
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J Am Med Inform Assoc · Oct 2018
Development of an algorithm to link electronic health record prescriptions with pharmacy dispense claims.
Medication adherence is an important aspect of chronic disease management. Electronic health record (EHR) data are often not linked to dispensing data, limiting clinicians' understanding of which of their patients fill their medications, and how to tailor care appropriately. We aimed to develop an algorithm to link EHR prescribing to claims-based dispensing data and use the results to quantify how often patients with diabetes filled prescribed chronic disease medications. ⋯ Record linkage resulted in the finding that CHC patients with diabetes largely had their chronic disease medications dispensed. Understanding factors associated with dispensing rates highlight barriers and opportunities for optimal disease management.