Keywords
clinical decision support system - quality improvement - electronic health record
- pediatrics
Background and Significance
Background and Significance
Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are used to augment medical decision-making
by providing targeted information. They may improve quality of care and reduce health
care costs by increasing adherence to evidence-based knowledge and decreasing unwanted
variations in care.[1]
[2]
[3]
[4] Multiple studies have reported cost savings through various CDSS intervention types,
including active and passive alerts and restrictive computerized provider order entry.[5]
[6]
[7] Although medication-related CDSS have myriad benefits when thoughtfully designed
and implemented, they can also lead to unintended harm. Commonly cited risks include
alert fatigue, fragmented workflows, and high outset and ongoing maintenance costs.[8] This can be particularly true with CDSS that use hard-stops, in which the user is
prevented from taking an action altogether.[9]
Intravenous (IV) acetaminophen has been an enticing target for CDSS intervention in
recent years. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2010, it can cost
hundreds of times more than the oral tablet formulation.[10]
[11]
[12] Acetaminophen is commonly used for its antipyretic and analgesic properties and
strong safety profile.[13]
[14] Although the IV route may be advantageous when oral or rectal routes are contraindicated,
it is unclear if IV acetaminophen is more efficacious in general.[15]
[16] In this study, we describe the implementation of a hard-stop CDSS, which was chosen
as an intervention within a quality improvement initiative that sought to promote
appropriate use of IV acetaminophen, with the primary aim to decrease hospital-wide
IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days by 20% over a 12-month period.
Methods
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH) is an academic children's hospital in Palo
Alto, California with 361 inpatient beds. It is affiliated with Stanford School of
Medicine, with ordering providers including trainees, advanced practice providers,
and attending physicians. In 2016, the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee analyzed
IV acetaminophen usage and determined that it represented among the highest inpatient
medication expenditures within the hospital. LPCH's utilization rates were significantly
higher compared with other children's hospitals across the United States.
In response, we formed a multidisciplinary workgroup with the aim of reducing the
inappropriate use and overall expenditure of IV acetaminophen. The workgroup consisted
of pharmacists, ordering providers, clinical informaticians, data analysts, and performance
improvement consultants. Inappropriate use of IV acetaminophen was defined as ordering
the IV formulation when there was no contraindication to enteral routes. Current state
analysis revealed that 60% of IV acetaminophen orders may have been inappropriate,
with 41% of IV acetaminophen orders prescribed for patients without nil per oral (NPO)
orders and 19% of IV acetaminophen orders prescribed for patients with NPO orders
that had exceptions for medications. The target of reducing IV acetaminophen administration
by 20% was chosen as it represented a 33% decrease in potentially inappropriate IV
acetaminophen orders compared with the current state, which the workgroup agreed would
be an attainable goal. We used quality improvement methodology with the Plan-Do-Study-Act
(PDSA) model for improvement to reach our aim. SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines were used as
a framework to report this quality improvement initiative.[17]
The workgroup initiated a series of electronic health record (EHR)-based interventions
aimed at decreasing IV acetaminophen administration. One intervention included an
interruptive alert within the EHR (Epic Systems, Inc., Verona, Wisconsin, United States),
which prompted providers ordering IV acetaminophen to consider ordering an enteral
formulation when the patient had an active diet order. Another intervention defaulted
the duration of each new IV acetaminophen order to 24 hours, although this could be
overridden by the ordering provider. A third intervention generated an acetaminophen
order set that included both IV and oral formulations along with guidance to avoid
the IV option if the patient was feeding enterally. All three interventions were unsuccessful
in decreasing the number of IV acetaminophen administrations. A separate non-EHR-based
intervention was implemented in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) in
August 2020, which involved a pharmacist joining rounds and specifically recommending
that ordering providers change from IV to enteral acetaminophen when clinically indicated.
In response to the lack of success in the three EHR-based interventions, we implemented
a hard-stop CDSS that set a mandatory expiry time of 24 hours for all IV acetaminophen
orders. Thus, continuing IV acetaminophen after 24 hours would require a new order
from the ordering provider. The intent was for IV acetaminophen orders to be reviewed
every day to prompt more opportunity for discontinuation or transition to enteral
formulations as appropriate.
This hard-stop CDSS went live on April 5, 2021 throughout all inpatient units, accompanied
by education to ordering providers and nurses. Our primary outcome measure was the
number of IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days, which was measured
pre- and postimplementation. This outcome measure was chosen as a standard unit of
measurement because it calculates the rate IV acetaminophen administrations, which
accounts for variation in patient volume.
Process measures included the number of IV acetaminophen orders per 1,000 patient
days that were placed. This was chosen as a process measure as we anticipated that
a reduction in IV acetaminophen orders would be an important step for reducing total
IV acetaminophen administrations.
Recognizing the potential pitfalls of hard-stop CDSS, including possible delays in
care and provider dissatisfaction, we used these as our balancing measures, which
were measured through a survey sent to a convenience sample of inpatient nurses and
ordering providers postimplementation.
Control charts (also called Shewhart charts or statistical process control charts)
were used for analysis, which is commonly used in improvement science methodology.
Control charts are often used to distinguish between variation in a system caused
by common causes from those due to special causes, and they are able to detect process
changes and trends earlier than classical statistical methods.[18] Common causes are those inherent in the system, whereas special causes are causes
of variation that are not part of the system, such as a specific intervention. There
are several rules to identify special cause variation, but some of the most common
rules include (1) shifts, when six or more consecutive points are all above or below
the median value, (2) trends, when five or more consecutive points all go in the same
direction, and (3) astronomical points, where a data point is outside of the upper
and lower control limits. Signals of special cause variation are important to recognize,
as they may represent that an intervention has led to improvement.[19]
[20]
This study was Institutional Review Board exempt as it did not meet the criteria for
research by our Research Compliance Office.
Results
Outcome Measure: Changes in Intravenous Acetaminophen Administration per 1,000 Patient
Days
The number of IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days was measured
from January 1, 2020 to October 31, 2022. When examining absolute number of IV acetaminophen
administrations, the CVICU was the largest utilizer, with 46% of total hospital administrations
([Fig. 1]). However, when adjusting for number of patient days, the pediatric intensive care
unit (PICU) was the highest utilizer of IV acetaminophen per 1,000 patient days, followed
by the CVICU and the acute care units.
Fig. 1 Pareto chart displaying percentage of total IV acetaminophen administrations per
unit. All other units include neonatal intensive care unit and short stay unit. CVICU,
cardiovascular intensive care unit; IV, intravenous; PICU, pediatric intensive care
unit.
Hospital-wide administration of IV acetaminophen was 289 times per 1,000 patient days
from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 ([Fig. 2]). There was a downward trend, defined as five or more consecutive points all going
down, from August 2020 to January 2021 ([Fig. 2]), and this correlates with a shift, defined as six or more consecutive points below
the median, in the CVICU during the same period ([Fig. 3]).[19] When assessing IV acetaminophen administration on acute care units specifically,
this did not reveal a similar trend or shift ([Fig. 4]). The PICU had an average of 541 IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient
days from January 1, 2020 to October 31, 2022 ([Fig. 5]). The hard-stop CDSS was implemented on April 5, 2021, and this intervention was
not associated with special cause variation in the CVICU, acute care units, PICU,
or hospital wide ([Figs. 2], [3], [4], [5]). Similarly, there was no special cause variation after the hard-stop CDSS was removed
in April 2022. There was no change in the percentage of IV acetaminophen administrations
based on NPO order status after hard-stop CDSS implementation and removal ([Fig. 6]).
Fig. 2 Control chart of IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days throughout
the hospital. CL, center line; IV, intravenous; LCL, lower control limit; UCL, upper
control limit.
Fig. 3 Control chart of IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days in the CVICU.
CDSS, clinical decision support systems; CVICU, cardiovascular intensive care unit;
IV, intravenous; LCL, lower control limit; UCL, upper control limit.
Fig. 4 Control chart of IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days in acute
care units (inpatient units exclusive of PICU and CVICU). CDSS, clinical decision
support systems; IV, intravenous; LCL, lower control limit; UCL, upper control limit.
Fig. 5 Control chart of IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days in the PICU.
CDSS, clinical decision support systems; CL, center line; IV, intravenous; LCL, lower
control limit; PICU, pediatric intensive care unit; UCL, upper control limit.
Fig. 6 Line graph of the percentage of hospital-wide IV acetaminophen administrations based
on nil per oral (NPO) status. CDSS, clinical decision support systems; IV, intravenous;.
Process Measure: Changes in Intravenous Acetaminophen Orders per 1,000 Patient Days
The number of orders placed for IV acetaminophen per 1,000 patient days was measured
from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2022. Hospital wide, there were an average of
140 IV acetaminophen orders per 1,000 patient days ([Fig. 7]). When stratified based on unit, the PICU had the highest number of IV acetaminophen
orders per 1,000 patient days, with an average of 170, compared with acute care units
(average 54) and the CVICU (average 77) ([Figs. 8]
[9]
[10]). No special cause variation was seen with the implementation or removal of the
hard-stop CDSS in the CVICU, acute care units, PICU, and hospital wide.
Fig. 7 Control chart of IV acetaminophen orders placed per 1,000 patient days throughout
the hospital. CDSS, clinical decision support systems; IV, intravenous; LCL, lower
control limit; UCL, upper control limit.
Fig. 8 Control chart of IV acetaminophen orders placed per 1,000 patient days in the CVICU.
CDSS, clinical decision support systems; IV, intravenous; LCL, lower control limit;
UCL, upper control limit.
Fig. 9 Control chart of IV acetaminophen orders placed per 1,000 patient days on Acute Care
Units. CDSS, clinical decision support systems; CVICU, cardiovascular intensive care
unit; IV, intravenous; LCL, lower control limit; UCL, upper control limit.
Fig. 10 Control chart of IV acetaminophen orders placed per 1,000 patient days in the PICU.
CDSS, clinical decision support systems; IV, intravenous; LCL, lower control limit;
PICU, pediatric intensive care unit; UCL, upper control limit.
Survey Results
A total of 88 participants completed the survey. Of these, 80% (70/88) were nurses
and 20% (18/88) were ordering providers. Nearly half (45%, 40/88) of respondents reported
negative issues with the 24-hour hard-stop CDSS (47% (33/70) of nurses, 39% (7/18)
of ordering providers), with the majority stating that this affected patient care
(39/40). The most frequently cited examples involved delays in receiving IV acetaminophen
for patients in pain. Moreover, 80% (32/40) of respondents who experienced negative
issues reported that the CDSS affected their efficiency. For example, 52% (46/88)
of nurses reported contacting an ordering provider at least once in the past month
to reorder IV acetaminophen. Accordingly, 56% (10/18) of ordering providers reported
being contacted by a nurse to reorder IV acetaminophen.
Discussion
We provide an example of a CDSS that had minimal effect on the targeted clinician
behavior while being burdensome to clinical staff and thus was appropriately removed
from the EHR. Our intervention did not lead to a reduction in the number of IV acetaminophen
administrations per 1,000 patient days and was not a special cause of variation. Similarly,
CDSS removal was not associated with special cause variation. It was associated with
low provider acceptability and potential negative impacts on patient care. The lack
of decrease in IV acetaminophen administrations suggest that it was often reordered
once the existing 24-hour order expired, which would require nurses to contact the
ordering provider to reorder IV acetaminophen, leading to fragmentation in workflows,
interruptions, and additional workload for nurses, ordering providers, and pharmacists.
Notably, there was a reduction in hospital-wide IV acetaminophen administration from
August 2020 to January 2021, which was also present in the CVICU but not on acute
care units. This special cause variation is likely related to a local CVICU intervention,
where the CVICU pharmacist reviewed all IV acetaminophen orders on rounds and requested
providers to transition to enteral routes of administration if clinically indicated.
Of note, this CVICU pharmacy intervention was not associated with a reduction in our
process measure, as no special cause variation was seen in IV acetaminophen orders
per 1,000 patient days. This suggests that the reduction in IV acetaminophen administrations
was directly related to the CVICU pharmacist cancelling these orders, rather than
ordering providers changing their behavior and ordering IV acetaminophen less frequently.
This highlights the notion that technology-based solutions, particularly CDSS, are
often not a “magic bullet” and must be paired with strategies that focus on changing
individual behavior to have a sustained effect.
Although this CDSS was ultimately removed, aspects of our implementation strategy
were executed well and offer valuable lessons. Firstly, we implemented the least burdensome
strategies first, with interruptive interventions attempted only when it was clear
that the prior interventions were ineffective. Active CDSS, including interruptive
and hard-stop alerts, carry higher risk as they mandate that the provider change their
workflow. This was exemplified in a randomized trial that used hard-stop alerts to
reduce the concomitant ordering of two medications that had drug interactions when
given together. The study was terminated early as there were delays in appropriate
treatment being administered due to the hard-stop CDSS, which highlights the often
unforeseen consequences that CDSS may have.[21] In addition, CDSS have been associated with end user frustration and burnout, which
may be exacerbated by hard-stops.[9]
[22] In most cases, interventions should be implemented in a stepwise fashion, starting
with the least invasive strategy to minimize the risk of unintended consequences associated
with active CDSS.[9]
In keeping with the PDSA model for improvement, our workgroup used time-limited pilot
trials for all implemented CDSS and met on a regular basis to monitor effectiveness,
gather end user feedback, and determine if the CDSS should be continued. Leveraging
end user feedback allowed us to monitor for unintended consequences, understand barriers
to use, and make iterative changes to increase adherence. Furthermore, while not performed
in this study, balancing measures can be measured objectively by collecting data from
the EHR; for example, if a CDSS is frequently dismissed by the end user, this signals
poor acceptability. This approach is supported by multiple CDSS frameworks, including
the Ten Commandments for Effective Clinical Decision Support and the GUIDES checklist
for CDSS implementation, which recommend that end user feedback be gathered throughout
the process of implementation.[23]
[24] A formal evaluation process allowed us to minimize dissatisfaction from providers
by promptly discontinuing the CDSS when we learned of its unintended consequences.
As we consider how this CDSS was developed and implemented, we also recognize opportunities
for future improvement. CDSS failure can often be anticipated by clinical informaticians
based on CDSS design limitations and existing cultural practices within the clinical
area. In our example, the CDSS had several features that contributed to its failure.
In terms of CDSS design, it forced providers to stop an action (i.e., ordering IV
acetaminophen) without offering an alternative option, and it added to the end user's
workflow by requiring repeated ordering of IV acetaminophen every 24 hours. The purpose
of the CDSS was largely to reduce costs and not improve patient outcomes, and this
economic driver was not aligned with that of the end users who were focused on providing
direct patient care. As the price of IV acetaminophen decreased with time, there was
less impetus to continue this project because our aim was not tied to clinical outcomes.
Finally, while the workgroup was multidisciplinary and had preconceptions about why
IV acetaminophen was being inappropriately used, a formal analysis was not performed.
As improvement methodology focuses on understanding the system prior to intervening,
future projects should seek to understand the reasons that influence ordering provider
decisions prior to and during implementation. This would have allowed us to better
tailor our interventions to address the specific causes. If we critically considered
the risk of CDSS failure prior to development and implementation, we may have more
readily recognized the futility of pursuing this CDSS.
Significant resources were invested and include time spent by personnel to develop,
implement, and maintain the CDSS, the opportunity cost of not pursuing other projects,
and the difficult-to-quantify cost of provider dissatisfaction. While CDSS has been
emphasized as a solution to rising health care costs, the evidence for its cost-effectiveness
and cost–benefit is mixed.[25]
[26] In our case, performing a cost–benefit analysis prior to pursuing this CDSS may
have determined that the potential cost savings from reduced IV acetaminophen administration
would not surpass the resource costs associated with development, implementation,
and monitoring.
Our work has important limitations. While our outcome measure accounts for variability
in patient volume by measuring IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient
days, it does not control for variability in case mix index. This is a potential confounder,
particularly in pediatrics where the case mix is highly variable based on seasonality
and with the COVID-19 pandemic, which also had repercussions on case mix index. Despite
this, the CDSS was implemented for 12 months prior to removal, and there was no significant
change in IV acetaminophen administrations throughout those 12 months. This CDSS was
implemented at a single tertiary, pediatric hospital within the inpatient units. Thus,
the lessons from this case may not be fully generalizable to other settings. In addition,
our survey data used convenience sampling of nurses and ordering providers, which
may have resulted in selection bias. The survey's primary purpose was to understand
provider and nursing acceptability of the interruptive CDSS, and it did not ascertain
if there was a clinical reason for ordering IV acetaminophen instead of the enteral
formulation. Analyzing the basis for IV acetaminophen orders would have better allowed
us to target interventions that address root causes.
This case report highlights areas of future direction to improve effective CDSS implementation.
Currently, features that predict CDSS success or failure are not well elucidated,
with few studies reporting on system design and implementation features.[27] Creation of an evidence-based tool for predicting CDSS success would help clinical
informaticians better allocate resources toward CDSS that have higher likelihood of
success. Being able to risk stratify CDSS may also prompt teams to monitor more closely
already-implemented CDSS that are deemed high risk for failure. Particularly for CDSS
that aims to decrease utilization, development of a cost–benefit analysis tool would
allow clinical informaticians to quantify the potential cost savings of decreased
utilization compared with the costs of CDSS development, implementation, and monitoring.
These models could help bridge the gap between clinical informatics teams and health
system stakeholders requesting CDSS, and it may impartially demonstrate when a requested
CDSS is at high risk for failure and allow for utilization of health care resources
toward interventions that are more likely to succeed.
Conclusion
CDSS have the potential to improve clinical practice and may reduce costs when effectively
implemented.[25]
[26]
[28] This case report highlights the importance of monitoring and gathering feedback
after the implementation of any CDSS, particularly around additional provider burden
and workload. Teams should be prepared to modify or remove the CDSS if end user acceptability
is low, particularly when the primary aim of the CDSS is not definitively achieved.
Models that predict CDSS failure and cost–benefit may be helpful in allocating resources
to CDSS that have high likelihood of success and greater economic benefit.
Clinical Relevance Statement
Clinical Relevance Statement
CDSS are increasingly used to improve quality of care and decrease cost. However,
they can lead to unintended harm by causing alert fatigue, fragmented workflows, and
frustration from the end user. All CDSS implementations should have a system for monitoring
efficacy and gathering feedback from end users, and teams should be prepared to modify
or remove the CDSS if end user acceptability is low or the desired effect is not achieved.
Multiple-Choice Questions
Multiple-Choice Questions
-
What is a commonly cited risk specific to implementing hard-stop CDSS?
Correct Answer: The correct answer is option b. Hard-stop CDSS is a type of active CDSS that requires
a certain behavior from the end user and requires the end user to change their existing
workflow. The other options are risks when implementing all types of CDSS, but these
are not specific to hard-stop CDSS.
-
Which is a framework that can be used when developing and implementing effective CDSS?
-
The GUIDES checklist
-
Five Commandments for Effective Clinical Decision Support
-
The Technology Acceptance Model
-
The DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model
Correct Answer: The correct answer is option a. The GUIDES checklist consists of 16 factors that
assists professionals when implementing guidelines with CDSS. Option b is incorrect;
Ten Commandments for Effective Clinical Decision Support is a common framework used
when developing effective CDSS. Options c and d are incorrect as these are not frameworks
related specifically to CDSS.