title: Computerized physician order entry of diagnostic tests in an intensive care unit is associated with improved timeliness of service.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the effect of computerized physician order entry on timeliness of urgent laboratory and imaging tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before-after.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit in a tertiary teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who had "stat" laboratory or imaging tests ordered during each of two 1-month periods 10 months before and 2 months after introducing computerized physician order entry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Introduction of computerized physician order entry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After computerized physician order entry was introduced, median time from ordering to obtaining laboratory specimens decreased from 77 to 21.5 mins, median time from ordering to laboratory result being reported decreased from 148 to 74 mins, and median time from ordering to imaging completed decreased from 96.5 to 29.5 mins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Introduction of computerized physician order entry for ordering "stat" tests in an intensive care unit is associated with improved timeliness of these tests.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Willie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Dodek
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norena
authors.forename: Jordana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dodek
mesh_terms: D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D004526:Efficiency; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D010820:Physicians; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface