Journal of Healthcare Management - September/October 2014 - (Page 338)

Development and Field Testing of a Self-Assessment Guide for Computer-Based Provider Order Entry Carl V. Vartian, MD, chief medical information officer, HCA-Gulf Coast Division, and graduate student, School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston; Hardeep Singh, MD, chief, Health Policy, Quality and Informatics Program, Houston VA HSR&D Center of Innovation, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, and associate professor, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; Elise Russo, researcher, Houston VA HSR&D Center of Innovation; and Dean F. Sittig, PhD, professor, School of Biomedical informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center1 E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y Despite the benefits of computerized provider order entry (CPOE), numerous reports of unexpected CPOE-related safety concerns have surfaced. As part of a larger project to improve the safety of electronic health records (EHRs), we developed and field tested a CPOE "safety self-assessment" guide through literature searches, expert opinion, and site visits. We then conducted a field test of this guide with nine hospital chief medical informatics officers (CMIOs), who were identified through the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems. The CPOE safety selfassessment guide was sent electronically to the CMIOs. Once the assessments were returned, we conducted structured telephone interviews for further comments about the guide's format and content. The CMIOs in our study found the CPOE safety guide useful and relatively easy to complete, taking no more than 30 minutes. Analysis of responses to the guide suggest that most recommended practices were implemented inconsistently across facilities. Despite consensus for certain CPOE best practices in the medical literature and among experts, there appeared to be considerable variation among CMIOs' opinions of best practices. Interview data suggested this inconsistency was mostly due to system limitations and/or differing opinions about the necessity of certain EHR-related safety measures. Despite the absence of consensus on best practices, a self-assessment safety guide provides a practical starting point for organizations to assess and improve safety and the effectiveness of their CPOE system. For more information about the concepts in this article, contact Dr. Sittig at dean.f.sittig@uth.tmc.edu. 338

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Healthcare Management - September/October 2014

Journal of Healthcare Management - September/October 2014
Interview With Delvecchio S. Finley, FACHE, CEO of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Hospital Consolidation: “Safety in Numbers” Strategy Prevails in Preparation for a Value- Based Marketplace
Leveraging Women’s Leadership Talent in Healthcare
Pressure and Performance: Buffering Capacity and the Cyclical Impact of Accreditation Inspections on Risk-Adjusted Mortality
Development and Field Testing of a Self- Assessment Guide for Computer-Based Provider Order Entry
Good to Great: Using 360-Degree Feedback to Improve Physician Emotional Intelligence
Career Inflection Points of Women Who Successfully Achieved the Hospital CEO Position

Journal of Healthcare Management - September/October 2014