Modifications to Objectives and Subobjectives

The following discussion highlights the modifications, including changes, additions, and deletions, to this focus area's objectives and subobjectives as a result of the midcourse review.

Three of the six medical product safety objectives were modified. The objective for monitoring adverse events (17-1a) was reworded to better reflect the identified data source. Linked, automated information systems (17-2) was reworded for a similar reason and divided into four subobjectives for clarity:

• Health care providers in health care organizations using electronic medical records (17-2a).
• Pharmacists in managed care and integrated health systems using electronic medical records (17-2b).
• General and children's hospitals using computerized prescriber order entry (17-2c).
• Urban acute care facilities using computerized prescriber order entry (17-2d).

This objective regarding the use of information technology (17-2) and its four subobjectives (17-2a through d) became measurable as nationally representative data sources were identified. Given the importance of moving toward linked, automated systems to facilitate better health care, the targets were set to a 50 percent increase over the baseline for each subobjective.

One objective to increase the receipt of useful information about prescriptions from pharmacies (17-4) remained developmental, while the data obtained from a national study are being reanalyzed to provide a valid baseline measure.

As stated in Healthy People 2010: "Most developmental objectives have a potential data source with a reasonable expectation of data points by the year 2004 to facilitate setting 2010 targets in the mid-decade review. Developmental objectives with no baseline at the midcourse will be dropped." Accordingly, at the midcourse review, both the developmental subobjective for monitoring and analyzing adverse events associated with medical devices (17-1b) and the objective for provider review of medications taken by patients (17-3) were deleted due to lack of nationally representative data sources. However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the agencies that serve as the leads for the Healthy People 2010 initiative will consider ways to ensure that these public health issues retain prominence despite their current lack of data.

<<  Previous—Introduction   |   Table of Contents  |  Next—Progress Toward Healthy People 2010 Targets  >>