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Computerized Physician Order Entry
Patient Safety
| Description: | In 1999, The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report on medication errors, called “To Err is Human,” brought the issue of patient safety to the forefront of the industry’s and nation’s consciousness. The IOM called for a fundamental, sweeping change to improve the quality of healthcare for all Americans. A second IOM report, “Crossing the Quality Chasm,” published in 2001, goes further, making an urgent call for fundamental changes to the American healthcare system and providing principles and direction for policymakers, healthcare leaders, clinicians, regulators, purchasers and others. |
| Topic: | Industry sources have identified computerized physician order entry as one of the most important ways to improve clinical workflow, enhance patient safety and improve medication management. The Leapfrog Group, a consortium of 140 public and private organizations that provide healthcare benefits, works with medical experts throughout the U.S. to identify problems and propose solutions that it believes will improve hospital systems. As one of its recommendations, The Leapfrog Group has called for hospitals to incorporate CPOE. CPOE integrates technology directly into the decision-making processes and workflow of physicians and nurses, improving the safety and efficiency of patient care while creating minimal disruption for the clinician. Upon seeing the benefits of CPOE - particularly better outcomes and timely delivery of care - physicians rapidly become advocates. In addition to helping clinicians at the point of care every day, a CPOE system can constantly incorporate their iterative feedback on the order sets. |
| Expert: | Don Rucker[70 KB], MD, vice president and chief medical officer, Siemens Medical Solutions; MBA and an MS in medical computer science from Stanford University |
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Topic Index
Defining the Future State of Interoperability
Electronic Medical Records
Healthcare Industry Collaboration
How Technology Can Enhance Patient Safety
Medication Management
Staffing Shortages in Healthcare
Workflow/Process Management
