Health organizations are using technology to implement programs that help improve quality of patient care, according to an infographic based on a survey called "Healthcare Insights 2012," by Emdeon, a provider of revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange solutions.

A total of $662 million in incentives were paid for both the Physician Quality Reporting System and e-Prescribing Incentive Programs in 2010, which represents a 72 percent increase since 2009, according to a CMIO report.

The United States ePrescibing market is expected to hit $205 million by 2017, according to a Global Industry Analysts release, reported by ChartLogic.

E-prescribing could increase first-fill medication adherence and lead to $140 billion-$240 billion in healthcare savings and improved outcomes, according to a study conducted by Surescripts, a network of healthcare organizations.

The percent of office-based physicians using e-prescribing systems has increased from less than 10 percent to 52 percent in three years, according to a Surescripts news release.

Kentucky is beginning a pilot project with Ohio to prevent prescription drug abuse by sharing electronic prescribing data, according to a Courier-Journal report.

Successful e-prescribing depended on access to resources such as physician champions and health IT support and redesigned work processes, according to a study published in Annals of Family Medicine.

The American Medical Association is encouraging physicians to apply for an exemption from Medicare ePrescribing by Nov. 1 if they cannot meet requirements, according to an AMA news release.

The Alliance of Specialty Medicine recently urged CMS to finalize the proposed rules to CMS' e-prescribing program, but it also asked the agency to look into further changes, such as easing the burden of physician participation and limiting those who will be exposed to the 2012 payment adjustment, according to a letter from the group issued to CMS.