Patient perceptions of e-prescribing and its impact on their relationships with providers: A qualitative analysis

Objective: To describe patients' perceptions of electronic (e)-prescribing and its impact on patients' quality of care, interactions with prescribers and pharmacists, and engagement in health care overall, particularly in regard to medication use.

Methods: Semistructured, one-on-one interviews with 12 patients.

Results: Patients were generally unfamiliar with the functions of integrated e-prescribing systems and did not perceive that use of such technology affected their relationships with providers. Those respondents having positive perceptions of, and experiences with e-prescribing mostly cited convenience and improvements in safety and quality, while patients with negative e-prescribing perceptions and experiences primarily expressed concern about loss of control in the medication-use process, misdirected prescriptions, and reduced communication with prescribers and pharmacists.

Conclusion: Patients generally felt unaffected by the use of e-prescribing technology; however, there may be opportunities to better engage and educate patients, particularly at the point of prescribing.