Healthy Skepticism Library item: 5319

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Berger RG, Kichak JP.
Computerized physician order entry: helpful or harmful?
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004 Mar-Apr 01; 11:(2):100-3
http://www.jamia.org/cgi/content/full/11/2/100

Abstract:

Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) is touted as a major improvement in patient safety, primarily as a result of the Institute of Medicine’s 1999 report on medical errors and the subsequent formation of the “Leapfrog Group” of companies to preferentially direct their employees’ health care to those institutions that install such systems (as part of directives that “Leapfrog” feels will improve patient care). Although the literature suggests that such systems have the potential to improve patient outcomes through decrease of adverse drug events, actual improvements in medical outcomes have not been documented. Installation of such systems could actually increase the number of adverse drug events and result in higher overall medical costs, particularly in the first few years of their adoption.

Keywords:
Drug Therapy, Computer-Assisted* Health Care Costs Hospital Information Systems*/economics Humans Medical Records Systems, Computerized*/economics Medication Errors/prevention & control* Medication Systems, Hospital Patient Care Pharmaceutical Preparations/adverse effects Physicians Quality of Health Care United States User-Computer Interface*