El Camino Hospital: using health information technology to promote patient safety.
BACKGROUND
El Camino Hospital is a leader in the use of health information technology to promote patient safety, including bar coding, computerized order entry, electronic medical records, and wireless communications.


METHODS
Each year, El Camino Hospital's board of directors sets performance expectations for the chief executive officer, which are tied to achievement of local, regional, and national safety and quality standards, including the six Institute of Medicine quality dimensions. He then determines a set of explicit quality goals and measurable actions, which serve as guidelines for the overall hospital. The goals and progress reports are widely shared with employees, medical staff, patients and families, and the public.
For safety, for example, the medication error reduction team tracks and reviews medication error rates. The hospital has virtually eliminated transcription errors through its 100% use of computerized physician order entry. Clinical pathways and standard order sets have reduced practice variation, providing a safer environment.


CONCLUSIONS
Many projects focused on timeliness, such as emergency department wait time, lab turnaround time, and pneumonia time to initial antibiotic. Results have been mixed, with projects most successful when a link was established with patient outcomes, such as in reducing time to percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Bukunt
Susan
S
El Camino Hospital, Mountain View, California, USA. Susan_Bukunt@elcaminohospital.org
Hunter
Christine
C
Perkins
Sharon
S
Russell
Diana
D
Domanico
Lee
L
D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D019091:Critical Pathways; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration