Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) is an application that allows healthcare providers to directly enter medical orders electronically. CPOE systems can allow electronic entry of medication, laboratory, admission, radiology, referral, and procedure orders.
Developing and implementing CPOE is multidisciplinary effort and involves IT, clinical, business and informatics expertise with the following goals in mind:
CPOE has tremendous benefits that impact the overall efficiency of the healthcare delivery system. It enables safer, more consistent patient-centred care that is quantifiable. Time efficiency is a huge benefit of implementing CPOE across an organization. CPOE users find improved efficiency to be even more impactful than its technological advances. Specifically, with enhanced time efficiency, clinicians can communicate more effectively, provide care more accurately, and focus more of their time on patients’ needs. These benefits include:
Successful CPOE implementation depends on a high level of leadership involvement, widespread commitment to the project, availability of resources, access to technology, and comprehensive training and communication. When these ingredients are present to implement CPOE across the organization, it has a tremendous impact.
Health delivery centres continue to strive to improve patient safety and quality of care. There is also an increased focus on the efficiency of health care. The Joint Commission defined the important dimensions of performance for quality of care as “patient perspective issues; safety of the care environment; and accessibility, appropriateness, continuity, effectiveness, efficacy, efficiency, and timeliness of care.”
Overall, CPOE systems with CDS can improve medication safety, quality of care, compliance with guidelines and protocols, while reducing medical errors and spurious healthcare dollar spending at the same time, the cost of healthcare.
© Copyright Emerald Health 2016. All Rights Reserved. | Sitemap | Health Connexions