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Supplemental Figures
Figure 1: Prewritten prescriptions most appropriate for gastroesophageal reflux, with a brief, diagnosis-specific message; Figure 2: Example message-of-the-day screen.
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- Supplemental data: Figure 1 - PDF file, 1 page, 47 KB
- Supplemental data: Figure 2 - PDF file, 1 page, 45 KB
The Article in Brief
Doctors often learn about a new drug from information provided by the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug. Computer systems have been developed to help doctors select prescriptions based on scientific evidence. These systems also provide the doctor with information about the effectiveness, safety, and costs of drugs; new research findings; and prewritten prescriptions. Spending on drugs dropped among doctors using such a system, while spending on drugs increased among doctors not using the system. *Conflicts of interest: Authors McMullin and Longergan are salaried employees of WELLINX (St. Louis, Mo), owner of the computerized decision support system used by the intervention group. Co-author Dr. Thomas D. Doerr, MD, is one of the founders of WELLINX and has an ownership interest in the company.