IS CPOE Safe for Patients?

Session
Potpourri

Authors
Leah Brown
Administrator
Mayo Clinic

James Frye
Section Head
Systems and Procedures
Mayo Clinic

Description
This presentation examines the challenges and methodologies used to incorporate and measure patient safety as part of a major automation implementation. This project redesigned inpatient care processes that affected physicians, nurses, pharmacists and any personnel who interacted with the paper chart.

Abstract
Introduction Background In 1999 a report from the Committee on Quality Healthcare in America, To Err is Human,indicated that health care in the United States needed to improve safety measures. Medications errors alone contributed to 7,000 deaths annually. With that as backdrop, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville in 2005 embarked on a major strategic initiative to automate the clinical practice. The goals included a replacement of the St Lukes Hospital paper record, incorporating patient safety, transformation of information into knowledge, and promoting the development of rules and alerts to enhance the care and safety of patients.

Project Goals, Timelines, Governance, Methods and Lessons Learned The Paperless Project was divided into to three areas of concentration: Computer Provider Order Entry (CPOE), Documentation. and Medical Records .This presentation will provide details regarding project structure and overall planning. Project governance with emphasis on patient safety, incorporating members from other committees that oversee medication, rules and alerts. In order to determine and quantify patient safety metrics, the presentation will review results of pre- and post-implementation data regarding medication errors. Finally, the presentation will conclude with lessons learned (i.e. training, communications, methodology) and future plans for enhancements of the EMR.