Keywords
Implementation and deployment - electronic health records and systems - clinical decision
support - inpatient - inpatient CPOE - neonatology
1. Background and Significance
1. Background and Significance
Computerized physician/provider order entry (CPOE) is a technology that has the potential
to transform care delivery. Several prior studies have examined the effects of CPOE
on medication safety and the delivery of safe and effective patient care [[1]–[3]] with varying results. Studies in pediatric and neonatology settings have generally
shown no decrement in medication safety with the implementation of CPOE, but that
the addition of clinical pharmacists has a greater effect on preventing medication
errors [[4], [5]]. In addition, the introduction of CPOE has not been found to adversely affect the
time clinicians spend with patients [[6]]. One study examining workflow with CPOE implementation within a neonatal intensive
care unit (NICU) found that time to antibiotic administration did not improve, but
time for pharmacy verification did improve [[3]].
While the introduction of CPOE systems has been studied extensively in adult populations,
less is known about the implementation of CPOE in the NICU and its effects on the
individuals using the system. Given the vulnerability of this patient population,
and the limited ability to extrapolate from adult-focused CPOE systems, implementation
of CPOE in this setting merits study. One prior study specifically looked at physician
and nurse perceptions of CPOE implementation on hospital workflow, however, the effects
on providers caring for neonates were not fully examined [[7]]. In our institution there was an opportunity to examine clinician perceptions and
nursing workflow surrounding CPOE implementation before and after the system development
and roll out within a Level III NICU.
The objective of this report is to examine the perceptions of clinicians before and
after CPOE implementation in the NICU of a pediatric hospital. We hypothesize that
perceptions of CPOE will be more positive after implementation of the system particularly
related to medication safety and efficiency. We also hypothesize that nursing staff
will have different perceptions of CPOE implementation than physicians given the different
roles in delivering care.
2. Methods
2.1 Setting
This study was performed in a 40-bed, Level III NICU within a 415-bed urban teaching
hospital in Boston, MA. The NICU is located within an adult hospital with an attached
pediatric hospital rather than a free-standing children’s hospital. Prior to CPOE
implementation in the NICU, all physician/ provider orders in the unit, including
nursing, medication, diet, laboratory, radiology, respiratory, and ancillary testing
orders, were written on paper at the bedside of each patient. Nurses then would acknowledge
the order on paper and distribute the order to the appropriate area for further processing.
For example, nursing orders were transcribed onto nursing flow sheets or assessment
forms, medication orders were faxed to pharmacy, diet orders were faxed daily to formula
preparation room, laboratory and radiology orders were entered into computer system
by nurses or unit coordinators, and respiratory orders were verbally transmitted to
respiratory technicians. CPOE had previously been implemented in the hospital to varying
degrees with adult inpatient units having full CPOE including medication orders and
other pediatric units having partial CPOE including only non-medication orders (admission
and discharge orders). The NICU was the first full CPOE initiative within the pediatric
hospital. Implementation of CPOE in the NICU had been delayed to ensure that CPOE
implementation would be sure to address complexities and safety concerns that are
unique to this vulnerable population, especially the need to be able to address weight-based
and ges-tational age dosing of medications.
2.2 Intervention
CPOE was implemented in the NICU in March 2015 after a 2-year development period using
the Siemens (now Cerner after February 2, 2015) Soarian CPOE platform. From March
2013 – March 2015, interprofessional teams consisting of neonatologists, pediatric
subspecialists, nurses, clinical and informatics pharmacists, and information technologists
systematically worked together to customize the Soarian CPOE product for use in the
NICU. These teams reviewed the existing CPOE product in use and determined which orders
needed to be included, revised, and added for use in the NICU. The IT implementation
team had worked on the adult go-live previously and was able to provide guidance on
the limitations of the system for pediatrics and things that had previously been successful.
The vast majority of the work involved reviewing over 200 medications that had been
previously prescribed or had the potential to be prescribed within the NICU. Each
medication was reviewed for neonatal dosing guidelines and decision support prior
to building a medication-specific order set. In the NICU pre-implementation, all orders
for medications based upon weight had to include weight, gestational age and post-menstrual
age, and nursing and pharmacy would use that information to check each order manually.
The CPOE product had to be customized to allow inclusion of this information. Since
weight change in NICU patients can have profound effects on dosing, pre-implementation
all NICU medication orders had to be re-written weekly based upon the patient’s new
weight to ensure that medication dosing would remain appropriate as weight varied
over time. This “re-write” policy was one of the major issues that the NICU CPOE build
team addressed during the customization of the CPOE product that did not need to be
addressed by other units in the hospital. The team created a “medication dosing weight”
order, which is updated weekly and creates a dosing weight that flows into all subsequently
placed medication orders. Concurrently, medication administration processes were reviewed
and adapted in order to ensure safe and efficient medication preparation and administration.
Post-implementation, the weekly revision of the “medication dosing weight” and all
weight-based medications has replaced the pre-implementation weekly “re-write” policy.
In addition to reviewing, revising or creating individual orders in the CPOE build,
the teams then created NICU-specific order sets designed to ensure smoother work flow
in CPOE and to guide clinical practice by including decision support in those order
sets. Following completion of the CPOE build, all physicians (including residents,
fellows, and attendings), mid-level providers, nurses and pharmacists completed two-
to four-hour training sessions given in the 5 months prior to implementation. Physicians
and nurses received CPOE training that was developed by IT and the Pediatric CPOE
MD lead. They were held on a rolling basis, for specific disciplines starting from
4 months prior to implementation to a few weeks after (for residents unable to make
previous sessions). During the implementation the IT team set up a station within
the unit for the first week to address any issues on-site. Physicians, pharmacists,
and nurses were on pager call and rounded with the teams to evaluate progress. After
2 weeks when no additional issues were identified, the unit-based team was relocated
to the IT department.
A hospital-based pediatrician was designated the physician lead for CPOE. When the
NICU implementation started, two neonatologists were part of the review group. The
implementation team and other clinicians who took part in the CPOE planning and judgment
process were excluded from the survey to avoid bias.
2.3 Evaluation
We conducted a survey to assess clinicians’ attitudes, expectations, and experience
with CPOE. We used a before-and-after cross-sectional study design with two rounds
of written survey data collection: round 1 occurred six months pre-CPOE implementation
and round 2 occurred 1 year post-CPOE implementation. Time periods for survey distribution
were selected for logistical reasons and also to allow time for clinicians to adjust
to the new system. Potential respondents included registered nurses, nurse practitioners,
physicians (attending physicians, fellows and residents), and unit coordinators working
in the NICU. Though other clinicians had generally worked in the NICU for several
years, residents’ perceptions of CPOE implementation were still highly valued, as
most residents have significant experience with electronic documentation and ordering
during medical school and in non-NICU clinical rotations. All individuals were asked
to fill out the same survey for both rounds of data collection. Both physicians and
nurses use the CPOE application technology to enter orders, and verify order status,
document notes, and update patient status.
The survey was adapted from two prior surveys developed by Wakefield and Careyon [[8]]. The instrument elicited demographic information including job title, years of
experience, and typical shift worked in the NICU. The survey also included three sections
evaluating perceptions (better, worse, and no change) of CPOE implementation on ability
to deliver patient care, overall implementation of CPOE, and effect on job satisfaction
(►Supplementary Online Material). Finally, there was an open-ended response section
inquiring about any additional thoughts or concerns surrounding the implementation
of CPOE. This survey was determined to have face validity based on reviews by a health
services researcher as well as unit-based clinicians.
Prior to implementation, paper questionnaires were distributed to nurses and physicians
at work in the NICU. Paper surveys were chosen in order to ensure have rapid turn
around and confirmation of survey completion. Respondents returned completed surveys
to a research assistant. The questionnaires were filled out anonymously. Post-implementation
surveys were distributed electronically with a link sent to the institutional email
of each potential respondent for ease of distribution. Reminder emails were sent to
increase response rate. The evaluation was performed in compliance with the World
Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Medical Research
Involving Human Subjects. Participation was voluntary and the study was deemed exempt
from review as a quality improvement project by the Institutional Review Board at
Tufts Medical Center.
2.4 Data Analysis
We tabulated respondents’ assessments of the impact of implementing CPOE, attitudes
toward implementation, and the effect of CPOE implementation on patient care delivery.
We compared physician and nurse assessments, attitudes, and effects on patient care
delivery based on pre-CPOE implementation and post-CPOE implementation, using the
Chi-square test for greater quantities of responses. Analyses were performed using
Stata 9.0 (StataCorp, College Station, TX).
3. Results
3.1 Respondent characteristics
A total of 77 eligible respondents completed the questionnaire pre-implementation
(47% response rate) and 73 eligible respondents completed the questionnaire post-implementation
(45% rate). Pre-implementation, registered nurses represented 59% of the respondents
and physicians including nurse practitioners, residents, fellows and attending physicians
represented 41%. In post-implementation registered nurses represented 53% and physicians
represented 47% (►[Table 1]).
Table 1
Respondent Characteristics
Professional Group
|
Pre-Implementation N (%)
|
Post-Implementation N (%)
|
Nurse
|
46 (60)
|
40 (55)
|
Resident/Fellow
|
19 (25)
|
26 (37)
|
Attending Physician
|
12 (16)
|
7 (10)
|
Total Surveys
|
77
|
73
|
Professional Group
|
Hours Worked per Week in NICU Mean ± SD
|
Resident/Fellow
|
66.1 ± 2.6
|
|
Attending Physician
|
24 ± 9.3
|
|
3.2 Comparison of Responses
Prior to implementation, most physicians and nurses agreed that they understood reasons
why CPOE was implemented (86%). However, almost one quarter of all respondents felt
that they did not receive sufficient training (27%) and that learning CPOE would be
difficult (22%). Pre-implementation, one respondent noted, “(There was) too much time
between when I learned how to use (CPOE) and when I will actually start. (I) need
more training.” Another respondent stated, “This is going to be difficult to learn.”
After implementation, respondents continued to indicate that they understood why CPOE
was implemented (97%). There was a statistically significant difference between pre-implementation
and post-implementation responses regarding perceptions of information technology
support; 35% of individuals anticipated that support would be available, but 55% experienced
adequate support after implementation (p < 0.001). Individuals also indicated that
training was sufficient post-implementation, although there was concern pre-implementation
(67%, p < 0.001). Respondents reported that learning to operate CPOE was less difficult
in the post-implementation assessment than they had reported at baseline (83%, p <
0.001) ([Table 2]). One individual stated post-implementation that CPOE was “…very necessary in all
patient care areas. Streamlines some of the paperwork, reduces human error, allows
quick access to needed information.”
Table 2
Selected Pre- and Post-Implementation Responses, Stratified by Physicians and Nurses
Survey Item
|
Physicians’
|
|
|
Nurses’
|
|
|
|
Pre (N = 31)
|
Post (N = 33)
|
P-value
[*]
|
Pre (N = 46)
|
Post (N =40)
|
P-value
[*]
|
Job satisfaction
|
Improved
|
14 (45)
|
23 (70)
|
0.06
|
2 (4)
|
13 (33)
|
0.002
|
No change
|
17 (55)
|
9 (27)
|
|
26 (57)
|
19 (48)
|
|
Worsened
|
0 (0)
|
1 (3)
|
|
18 (39)
|
8 (20)
|
|
The hospital’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality staff
|
Improved
|
18 (58)
|
11 (34)
|
0.06
|
10 (22)
|
3 (8)
|
0.01
|
No change
|
13 (42)
|
21 (66)
|
|
36 (18)
|
32 (80)
|
|
Worsened
|
0 (0)
|
0 (0)
|
|
0 (0)
|
5 (13)
|
|
Overall patient safety
|
Improved
|
28 (90)
|
26 (81)
|
0.22
|
25 (54)
|
24 (60)
|
0.87
|
No change
|
2 (7)
|
6 (19)
|
|
16 (35)
|
12 (30)
|
|
Worsened
|
1 (3)
|
0 (0)
|
|
5 (11)
|
4 (10)
|
|
Ability to input correct medication orders without needing to call pharmacy for corrections
|
Improved
|
23 (74)
|
30 (91)
|
0.15
|
24 (52)
|
22 (55)
|
0.34
|
No change
|
6 (19)
|
3 (9)
|
|
18 (39)
|
11 (28)
|
|
Worsened
|
2 (7)
|
0 (0)
|
|
4 (9)
|
7 (18)
|
|
Since CPOE will be/ was implemented, please indicate your level of agreement:
|
Learning to operate CPOE was not very difficult
|
Agree
|
18 (58)
|
29 (88)
|
0.03
|
21 (46)
|
31 (80)
|
0.006
|
Neutral
|
7 (23)
|
2 (6)
|
|
14 (30)
|
5 (13)
|
|
Disagree
|
6 (19)
|
2 (6)
|
|
11 (24)
|
3 (8)
|
|
I understand why CPOE was implemented
|
Agree
|
30 (97)
|
32 (97)
|
0.96
|
36 (78)
|
39 (98)
|
0.03
|
Neutral
|
1 (3)
|
1 (3)
|
|
9 (20)
|
1 (3)
|
|
Disagree
|
0 (0)
|
0 (0)
|
|
1 (2)
|
0 (0)
|
|
I received sufficient training to learn CPOE
|
Agree
|
10 (32)
|
22 (67)
|
0.02
|
11 (24)
|
27 (68)
|
<0.001
|
Neutral
|
14 (45)
|
7 (21)
|
|
22 (48)
|
10 (25)
|
|
Disagree
|
7 (23)
|
4 (12)
|
|
13 (28)
|
3 (8)
|
|
IT support has always been available when I need help with CPOE
|
|
Agree
|
11 (36)
|
22 (67)
|
0.04
|
16 (35)
|
18 (45)
|
0.05
|
Neutral
|
18 (58)
|
10 (30)
|
|
17 (37)
|
19 (48)
|
|
Disagree
|
2 (7)
|
1 (3)
|
|
13 (28)
|
3 (8)
|
|
CPOE will improve/ has improved my ability to:
|
Give correct treatments
|
Agree
|
24 (77)
|
25 (73)
|
0.61
|
28 (61)
|
25 (63)
|
0.01
|
Neutral
|
7 (23)
|
8 (24)
|
|
18 (39)
|
9 (23)
|
|
Disagree
|
0 (0)
|
1 (3)
|
|
0 (0)
|
6 (15)
|
|
Treat the correct patient
|
Agree
|
22 (71)
|
20 (61)
|
0.21
|
30 (65)
|
29 (73)
|
0.03
|
Neutral
|
9 (29)
|
10 (30)
|
|
16 (35)
|
7 (18)
|
|
Disagree
|
0 (0)
|
3 (9)
|
|
0 (0)
|
4 (10)
|
|
Treat at the correct time
|
Agree
|
23 (74)
|
21 (64)
|
0.21
|
27 (59)
|
24 (62)
|
0.001
|
Neutral
|
8 (26)
|
9 (27)
|
|
19 (41)
|
7 (18)
|
|
Disagree
|
0 (0)
|
3 (9)
|
|
0 (0)
|
8 (21)
|
|
Give the correct amount, dose, or intensity
|
Agree
|
26 (84)
|
28 (85)
|
0.57
|
29 (63)
|
30 (75)
|
0.004
|
Neutral
|
5 (16)
|
4 (12)
|
|
17 (37)
|
5 (13)
|
|
Disagree
|
0 (0)
|
1 (3)
|
|
0 (0)
|
5 (13)
|
|
*Chi-square statistic
CPOE: Computerized Physician Order Entry System
NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Individuals reported that NICU CPOE increased job satisfaction (21% to 49%), but there
was a decrease in the ability to recruit and retain high quality staff (36% to 19%).
Further investigation into these results revealed conflicting outcomes. The majority
of pre-implementation respondents did not expect CPOE to impact job satisfaction (56%
expected no change and 23% expected job satisfaction to worsen), but post-implementation
respondents were much more likely to report that CPOE improved job satisfaction (49%
reported improvement and 38% reported no change, 12% reported worsening satisfaction).
Similarly, a majority of pre-implementation respondents did not expect CPOE to improve
retention and attraction of high-quality staff; all respondents expected CPOE to have
no change or a positive impact (64% expected no change and 36% expected improvement).
Post-implementation, however, respondents were less likely to report beneficial impact
(74% reported no change, 19% reported improvement, and 7% reported decline). When
these results were further stratified by provider role (►[Table 2]), the increase in job satisfaction remained for both nurses (4% to 35%) and physicians
(45% to 70%). While physicians were split on whether CPOE would lessen the time they
had for patient care, the majority of nurses (77%) felt it would have a negative impact.
Nurses and physicians both reported a decrease in ability to recruit and maintain
high quality staff.
Examining respondents’ perceptions of the likely and actual impact of CPOE on clinical
care, expectations were high and generally positive for items including the appropriateness
of patient care orders, the ability to alert staff to order entry errors before they
occur, and overall patient safety. Before and after implementation, most respondents
agreed that CPOE would improve the ability to deliver correct treatments (68% vs 67%)
to the correct patient (68% vs 67%) at the correct time (65% vs 63%). Pre-implementation,
one respondent stated, “There will still be (a lot) of room for human error.” Another
respondent added, “…There are some aspects I love about CPOE: more legible and easily
accessible. Once everything is computerized it will be great.”
3.3 Differences by Professional Group
At baseline, more physicians than nurses expected that CPOE would improve job satisfaction
(45% vs 5%, p < 0.001) (►[Table 2]). This difference persisted in post-implementation results. However, both groups
reported a dramatic increase in job satisfaction (70% vs 35%, p = 0.01). In post-implementation
surveys, more physicians than nurses perceived that there would be improvement in
the need to call the pharmacy to input correct medication orders (91% vs 55%, p =
0.002). Finally, a small group of clinicians disagreed with the ability of CPOE to
help deliver safe treatments. A breakdown of these individuals revealed that a higher
percentage were nurses rather than physicians.
4. Discussion
4.1. Main findings
In evaluating the implementation of a CPOE system in a NICU, we found that expectations
regarding CPOE implementation were high and were generally satisfied. Physicians had
higher expectations than nurses for improving job satisfaction, recruiting high quality
staff members, and improving overall patient safety. However, after implementation
the impact of CPOE on job satisfaction exceeded expectations for both nurses and physicians.
Nevertheless, a small group of clinicians expressed persistent concerns about the
potential adverse impact of CPOE on their ability to deliver the correct treatments.
4.2 Perceptions among nurses and physicians
Nurses and physicians were noted to have different attitudes before and after CPOE
implementation. Nurses appeared to be more cautious at baseline, but appreciated the
benefits of CPOE post-implementation. Physicians were more optimistic from the outset
and this did not change between pre-implementation and post-implementation responses.
We identified a small group of respondents who remained concerned about the implementation
of CPOE, which included more nurses than physicians. The differences in these perceptions
are likely multifactorial. Many comments from nurses and physicians referenced technical
computer challenges rather than workflow issues. We speculate that physician respondents,
who included residents and fellow trainees, were in practice for a shorter amount
of time on average, have more experience with electronic health record systems, and
may be more familiar with incorporating new technologies into practice. Experienced
nurses, in comparison, were astute observers of potential patient care risks.
It is possible that electronic order entry systems have a more disruptive effect on
nursing workflow than on physician practice and that this may influence their enthusiasm
for CPOE. For example, prior to CPOE implementation physicians typically wrote orders
at the bedside and sent paper orders to pharmacy using a tube system. The pharmacist
would enter the medication order and the nurse would then administer the medication.
After CPOE implementation, the physician enters the medication order on a computer,
which can occur remotely and not necessarily at the bedside of the patient, and the
nurse must verify the order before being sent to pharmacy. The pharmacist then confirms
the order and will typically talk with the nurse regarding any discrepancies or timing
issues. The physician is usually contacted as well regarding dosing discrepancies.
This process generally improves workflow for physicians, allowing for more timely
order entry and the ability to enter orders while at the bedside of another patient,
however, requires nurses to have a computer at each bedside to verify and carry out
orders. Whereas prior to implementation the majority of the order workload was on
physicians, after implementation the workload shifted to nursing staff and likely
contributed to the difference in attitudes between the two groups surrounding CPOE
implementation.
The NICU is a challenging environment to implement CPOE given the vulnerability of
its patients, the small doses of medications ordered and administered, the need to
titrate treatment to daily and weekly changes in body weight. Neonatal weight changes
on a daily basis both with weight gain and loss and medications are dosed according
to weight. Some frequently used medications can come in very small doses meaning that
a 30 gram weight gain in one day (appropriate weight gain for a neonate) can change
the dose by as much as 10%. Typically when an infant loses weight, the medication
continues to be dosed according to the highest recorded weight of the infant. However,
as the infant gains weight, they effectively “grow out of “ their medication dose
and the medication must be adjusted in order to remain effective. The frequent weight
changes create a new challenge in CPOE that is not encountered in adult populations
and creates potential for medication errors that may not exist in adult populations
[[9], [10]]. In our unit, this had been addressed by updating weights weekly to ensure adequate
and appropriate dosing.
Like our respondents, Ayatollahi et al. found that physicians and nurses anticipated
that CPOE implementation would have a positive impact on patient safety, but there
were significant differences among nurse and physician assessments of the likely impact
on NICU workflow: nurses were more optimistic than physicians [[7], [11]]. There continues to be discrepant results among studies regarding the ease of use
and efficiency associated with CPOE implementation [[12]].
Our study found a small group of individuals who continued to express concern about
the effect of CPOE on patient safety, particularly related to treating the right patient
at the right time. This is concerning given that one goal of CPOE is to reduce the
incidence of medication errors and to improve overall patient safety. However, several
studies have examined increased incidence of medication errors related to CPOE implementation
[[13]–[15]] and one study has even found an increase in mortality [[16]]. When looking at the implementation of a single CPOE system across three different
institutions there are very different effects on mortality with increased, no change,
and decreased mortality [[15]–[17]]. Implementation presents certain risks that may be mitigated once end-users have
experience with the system. In our institution, an IT group was present to assist
the end-users in gaining adequate experience with the system. A large majority of
the nursing staff expressed concern that they did not receive enough training pre-implementation
to be able to use the system effectively. After implementation, most individuals including
nursing staff felt that they were able to use the system effectively for patient care.
There is a possible baseline comfort among medical professionals with computer technology
in that younger physicians are more likely to use technology seamlessly as it has
been part of the daily life during education and clinical practice from the beginning.
Regarding patient safety, the likely effects of the CPOE system could be related to
the ability to enter orders remotely. There is room for mistakes when not looking
at the patient for which orders are being entered. Additionally, there is an increased
need for vigilance when entering orders to ensure that the medication or nursing orders
being entered are for the correct patient. Nursing staff checking over orders typically
identifies when orders do not seem appropriate for their particular patient, however
this may not always be the case. If increased vigilance is not implemented on both
the physician and nursing aspect of patient care, there is increased potential for
mistakes and decreased patient safety. In most studies there are less medication errors
if a clinical pharmacist is also present during rounds to answer questions and double
check orders at the time of entry. This would be an interesting aspect to investigate
in a future study.
We should understand if the perceived risks on patient safety are valid and if they
can be attenuated by improved CPOE functionality or training. While it is possible
that there are risks inherent to the introduction of new technology risks may have
less to do with inherent attributes of the technology than its precise and thoughtful
implementation. Several studies in Pediatrics described implementation of the same electronic medical record and CPOE, but showed
different outcomes on morbidity and mortality in each setting; both increased and
decreased risk of mortality [[17], [18]]. This potentially represents new vulnerabilities with electronic medical records
representing the need for more cohesive implementation decisions. We need to explore
how to assess and improve IT-literacy among clinicians in anticipation of introduction
of CPOE in novel settings.
4.3 Limitations
There are several limitations of this study, including its relatively small sample
size, customized CPOE application, and use of a single institution. The results of
this study may not be generalizable to another neonatal intensive care unit, although
the lessons learned here and implications for further electronic order entry systems
can be considered in future CPOE development. In order to determine whether caregivers’
perceptions after CPOE implementation are influenced by systematic malfunctions, future
studies should record and report successes and failures associated with CPOE systems.
It was also difficult to compare before-and-after assessments at the individual clinician
level, as staff turnover precluded effective matching. Finally, there may be a response
bias as questionnaires were distributed during working hours and only about half of
all individuals who received the questionnaire during each study period returned the
questionnaires. Therefore, not all clinicians working in the NICU filled out the survey
if they were not present at any of the times that surveys were distributed.
5. Conclusions
Introducing CPOE is a potentially risky endeavor and must be done carefully to mitigate
harm. Although high expectations for the impact of the system can be met, it is important
to attend to differing expectations among clinicians and different levels of comfort
with technology and change. The perceptions of the effect on workflow depending on
job position (nurse versus physician) can vary widely and should be accounted for
in the introduction of a new electronic order entry system. Adequate IT support and
appropriately equipped computers should also be available. Interprofessional collaboration
is necessary in planning an effective CPOE launch. In addition, there are particularly
vulnerable populations, particularly the neonatal and pediatric populations, which
require special attention to detail throughout the implementation process in order
to ensure maximal patient safety.
Question
Implementation of electronic medical record systems including computerized provider
order entry (CPOE) requires interdisciplinary communication and agreement for effective
and safe implementation. Nurses and physicians use electronic medical record systems
in different ways during their daily workflow. Which areas do physicians find are
most affected by implementation of CPOE?
– Answer: D, Job Satisfaction
Based on our survey of physicians and nurses during the time period surrounding the
implementation of CPOE in a single institution, overall physicians did not feel that
the CPOE system affected patient safety or treatment methods and times. However, physician
job satisfaction appeared to be improved post-implementation. Comparatively, nurses
found more of a change in patient safety and treatment times after implementation
of CPOE. This is likely due to workflow and how both physicians and nurses use the
CPOE in workflow. Typically nursing is at the bedside of an individual patient and
often requires close interaction with CPOE during times of patient care. These are
situations a physician may not directly see.
Clinical Relevance Statement
Computerized order entry may produce safe and effective patient care. While many studies
have examined the effects on patient care and medication administration, the perceptions
of individuals using the system every day have not been fully understood. Specific
considerations for neonatal order entry and the individuals utilizing the system should
be considered to ensure continued effective use of the system.