The purpose of this project was to assess how information technology (IT) should be configured and deployed in a rural setting to maximize benefit for multiple stakeholders. The scope included a needs assessment of physician practices; requirements for connectivity across provider entities; assessment of IT needs of the local acute care hospital; and the implementation of an e-prescribing pilot. Methods employed included surveys of physicians; vendor and market assessments; technology evaluation; and e-prescribing pilot implementation. The results included identification of strategic IT priorities for the community, for physicians and for the hospital; evaluation of specific electronic medical record and e-prescribing products; establishment of connectivity with regional providers through the MedVirginia health information exchange; and implementation of the e-prescribing pilot.
