title: Standardized admission order set improves perceived quality of pediatric inpatient care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies exist on the ability of standardized preprinted order forms to improve patient care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine resident-perceived effects of introducing a pediatric admission order set (PAOS) on the quality of inpatient care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Children's Hospital, a nonprofit, tertiary-care teaching hospital and major referral center with approximately 3,000 admissions per year.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 97 pediatric residents (PL-1, n=34; PL-2, n=33; and PL-3, n=30) who did the vast majority of the inpatient admissions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Residents were asked to rate the PAOS overall and with respect to 9 specific dimensions using a 5-point Likert scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 89% of respondents approved of the PAOS, 58% reported using it >or= 90% of the time, and all said that they would recommend it to their colleagues. Eighty-four percent thought that it improved inpatient care, and 75% thought that medical errors were reduced. Eighty-eight percent reported that the PAOS saved time; 93% said it was convenient; and most reported less need for clarification with secretaries (81%) and nurses (82%). In multivariate regression analyses, the only predictor of overall rating was whether the PAOS improved inpatient care (P=0.04). Improved patient care, meanwhile, was predicted by whether the PAOS was comprehensive (P=0.01), reduced medical errors (P=0.01), and required less clarification with nurses (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A standardized admission order set is a simple, low-cost intervention that residents believe may benefit patients by reducing medical errors and expediting high-quality care.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Mattel Children's Hospital, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 94143-0110, USA. bekmeziana@peds.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Arpi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bekmezian
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yazdani
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000592:standards*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D015141:Los Angeles; D008485:Medical Audit; D019300:Medical Errors; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems; D010343:Patient Admission; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*