Individual Assignment Blog for 09/15

What is a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system?

CPOE is a process of electronic entry of physician instructions for the treatment of patients under his or her care.

What are its basic functions?

CPOE are for easier communication of patients under a physician because CPOEs are communicated over a computer network to the medical staff or to the deparments responsible for fulfilling the order. It basically decreases delay in order completion and may reduce errors related to handwriting or transcription.

How many hospitals in the US are using such a system?

As of 2004, there were surveys done and found that 16% if US clinics, hospitals, and medical practices are expected to use CPOE within the 2 years.

Recent literature cites that between 5% and 9% of U.S. hospitals currently have CPOE
systems in place. Of the thousand hospitals responding to the most recent Leapfrog
hospital survey, only 4% had fully implemented CPOE systems; another 16% planned
for implementation by 2006.


What are some benefits and some disadvantages?

Benefits:
- decreases delay in order completion
- reduces errors related to handwriting or transcription
- allows order entry at point of care of off site
- provides error checking for duplicate or incorrect doses or test
- simplifies inventory and posting of charges
- saves money
- enhancing patient safety
Disadvantages:
- systems take years to install and configure
- computer errors
- at first, the prescribers/staff who are inexperienced at using the system may cause slower entries instead of faster entries
- in an emergency situation, the computer will be slower than a person to person communication
- cost of training (everyone needs appropriate training)
- technical issues with and balances to ensure that the system is used as intended and that safety checks are not circumvented
- overrides caused by automatic systems

What do you think are the main obstacles that prevent computer systems from improving the medical industry?

Doctors may be resistant to changes in their own practice patterns and computer systems are very costly. To many clinicians, CPOE requires more steps, more interaction and more drug product ordering information, which they consider an undue burden.
Also I think many people are still skeptical towards computer systems. What if there was a crash in the systems, then are the information will be lost. I work for Healthfirst and all our documents are scanned and stored on the computer however we still keep paper copies in the drawers as backup.

Sites I used to answer questions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_physician_order_entry
http://www.leapfroggroup.org/media/file/Leapfrog-Computer_Physician+Order_Entry_Fact_Sheet.pdf
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/516367_print