Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the potential of using health information technologies to help address the current opioid epidemic. The use of technology has become a practical way to disseminate health information. New platforms for integrating medical care and digital technology have been developed to further enhance patient-provider communication. Such technological tools include electronic medical records (EMR), telemedicine, and patient portals. With an ever-growing and rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, it is necessary for providers to adapt to these changes that will help provide an efficient level of care to patients. While individual studies have been published regarding specific technologies, this chapter provides a broad overview of how a range of health IT can serve as tools to prevent and treat opioid abuse. The chapter also addresses some interoperability and privacy challenges that must be addressed to assure the most effective use of health IT to help address the epidemic.
There is general consensus that the overuse of prescription opioids has contributed to the increase in opioid overdose and addiction. To respond to this crisis, it is important to better understand the profile of the abuser of these substances in the community. There are several tools and techniques that have been employed by communities to respond to the opioid crisis.
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Casnoff, C.A., Gamache, R., Gaddis, L.Q. (2019). Administration. In: Onyejekwe, E., Rokne, J., Hall, C. (eds) Portable Health Records in a Mobile Society. Health Informatics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19937-1_13
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