The computerized provider order entry system is a brilliant example of the digital transformation of medical care. As recent as 2009, many clinicians were still making handwritten orders. However, most providers and practices nationwide are now using some CPOE. According to a study, they can eliminate at least 90 percent of errors when physicians transcribe orders. CPOE systems offer many undeniable benefits to providers and patients, including:
- Safer medication orders
- Reduced errors in physician orders
- Improved provider efficiency
- Quicker reimbursements
- Reduction in redundant lab and radiology orders
With all the benefits of CPOE, providers and clinicians still have obvious challenges with its implementation. That’s why we’ll be looking at some of these obstacles and how to overcome them.
- EHRs Offer a Weak Foundation for CPOE
While most major EHR vendors have a CPOE system embedded in their solution, it is hardly sufficient to meet most providers’ needs. Most organizations have unique specialties, and the basic order sets are inadequate to support daily physician workflows.
Ultimately, this creates an integration roadblock with the need to create hundreds of new order sets. This situation is common among providers that may even go as far as switching EHRs because of better CPOE implementation. The truth is that EHRs contain huge knowledge banks, but they are not designed to meet all the content needs of modern healthcare.
That is why it is vital to partner with an expert health IT developer like Lifepoint to develop a robust order set that will integrate seamlessly with your EHR. This will bring effective decision support to your clinicians at the point of care. While some expert clinicians prefer to work with unstructured content, the best solution is to gradually introduce structured order sets to physicians while showing the many benefits they offer for adequate decision support.
- Manually Maintaining Order Sets is Tedious
After new order sets are developed and deployed, they need to be kept up-to-date to ensure their relevance at the point of care. If clinicians no longer trust the quality of the order sets and decision support, they will not use them often.
The solution to this challenge is to have an automated system for updating the content. Manual updating will be wasteful, inefficient, and tedious. On the other hand, developing an automatically updated system will allow clinicians to spend more time with patients instead of coming out to participate in order set review meetings. Order sets can be continuously updated from a trusted source after the clinicians and hospital management and developers have reached an agreement.
- Over Dependence on Decision Support
As good as decision support systems are for CPOE, they can become a significant source of concern when relied upon 100%. This is particularly true in hospitals where physicians are overstretched, and they see the order sets in the CPOE as a cookie-cutter recipe. In some cases, physicians bypass safety alerts and proceed to authorize pre-written orders without adequate evaluation and testing.
To reduce this type of occurrence, providers can ensure that orders are evaluated periodically so that the system makes patient orders safer without compromising efficiency.
Get Professional Help to Overcome Obstacles in CPOE Implementation
Contact Lifepoint Informatics to schedule a free consultation and receive professional advice on developing, deploying, and maintaining a productivity-boosting CPOE system.
Frequently Asked Questions about FHIR and CPOE Systems
What is FHIR?
FHIR, or Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, was created to make Electronic Health Records (EHRs) interoperable by providing detailed descriptions of data formats and resources. It supports open standards such as SMART, which reduces the time and effort required for healthcare app developers to connect systems, thereby enhancing clinical care, public health, and research.
What are the advantages of using FHIR over traditional HL7 standards?
Unlike traditional HL7 standards which require detailed programming to create interfaces between EHRs, FHIR simplifies this process using web services with FHIR APIs. This approach allows for the easy creation of healthcare apps that function similarly to social media news feeds, improving communication and data exchange.
How does FHIR differ from HL7?
Traditional HL7 interfaces require detailed programming and ongoing maintenance to connect EHR systems. FHIR eliminates the need for complex programming by using web services with FHIR APIs, enabling seamless communication between EHRs, devices, and mobile applications.
What is the future of FHIR?
FHIR is poised to revolutionize medical record exchange by enabling the transmission of lab results, prescriptions, and medications. With an 85% adoption rate among providers, FHIR is expected to facilitate specialist information exchange in the near future.
How can I transition from HL7 to FHIR?
Transitioning from HL7 to FHIR can significantly improve healthcare information exchange. Contact Lifepoint Informatics at 877.522.8378 to learn how adopting FHIR can enhance the efficiency and productivity of your operations and boost your quality of care.
What are the benefits of a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system?
CPOE systems offer many undeniable benefits to providers and patients, including:
- Safer medication orders
- Reduced errors in physician orders
- Improved provider efficiency
- Quicker reimbursements
- Reduction in redundant lab and radiology orders
What are the common challenges in implementing CPOE systems?
Despite their benefits, CPOE systems come with implementation challenges such as lack of integration with existing EHRs, the need for updated order sets, and potential overdependence on decision support systems. Partnering with an expert health IT developer like Lifepoint can help overcome these obstacles.
How can Lifepoint Informatics help with CPOE implementation?
Lifepoint Informatics offers professional advice on developing, deploying, and maintaining a productivity-boosting CPOE system. Contact Lifepoint Informatics to schedule a free consultation and receive expert guidance.