Reaching out to clinicians: implementation of a computerized alert system.
Several published articles have identified that providing automated, computer-generated clinical alerts about potentially critical clinical situations should result in better quality of care. In 1999, the pharmacy department at a community hospital network implemented and refined a commercially available, computerized clinical alert system. This case report discusses the implementation process, gives examples of how the system is used, and describes results following implementation. The use of the clinical alert system in this hospital network resulted in improved patient safety as well as in greater efficiency and decreased costs.
Degnan
Dan
D
Community Hospital North, Indianapolis, IN, USA. ddegnan@ecommunity.com
Merryfield
Dave
D
Hultgren
Steve
S
D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D016303:Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009862:Online Systems; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital; D017751:Safety Management; D012984:Software