Effectiveness of a computerized insulin order template in general medical inpatients with type 2 diabetes: a cluster randomized trial.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether an electronic order template for basal-bolus insulin ordering improves mean blood glucose in hospitalized general medical patients with hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
We randomly assigned internal medicine resident teams on acute general medical floors to the use of an electronic insulin order template or usual insulin ordering. We measured diabetes care parameters for 1 month on all patients with type 2 diabetes and blood glucose <60 mg/dl or >180 mg/dl treated by these physicians.


RESULTS
Intervention group patients (n = 65) had mean glucose of 195 ± 66 mg/dl. Control group patients (n = 63) had mean glucose of 224 ± 57 mg/dl (P = 0.004). In the intervention group, there was no increase in hypoglycemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Access to a computer insulin order template was associated with improved mean glucose levels without increasing hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Wexler
Deborah J
DJ
Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. dwexler@partners.org
Shrader
Peter
P
Burns
Sean M
SM
Cagliero
Enrico
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004360:Drug Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin