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Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
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1 to 17 of 17 Research Studies Displayed
Kandaswamy S, Pruitt Z, Kazi S
Clinician perceptions on the use of free-text communication orders.
The aim of this study was to investigate (1) why ordering clinicians use free-text orders to communicate medication information; (2) what risks physicians and nurses perceive when free-text orders are used for communicating medication information; and (3) how electronic health records (EHRs) could be improved to encourage the safe communication of medication information. The investigators concluded that clinicians' use of free-text orders as a workaround to insufficient structured order entry can create unintended patient safety risks.
AHRQ-funded; HS025136; HS024755.
Citation:
Kandaswamy S, Pruitt Z, Kazi S .
Clinician perceptions on the use of free-text communication orders.
Appl Clin Inform 2021 May;12(3):484-94. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1731002..
Keywords:
Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Communication, Provider: Clinician, Provider, Risk
Abraham J, Galanter WL, Touchette D
Risk factors associated with medication ordering errors.
This study’s goal was to collect data on “voided” orders in computerized order entry systems for medication to 1) identify the nature and characteristics of medication ordering errors; 2) investigate the risk factors associated with these errors and; 3) explore potential strategies to mitigate these risk factors. Data was collected using clinician interviews and surveys within 24 hours of the voided order and using chart reviews. During the 16-month study period 1074 medication orders were voided, with 842 being true medication errors. A total of 22% reached the patient, with at least a single administration, but without causing patient harm. Interviews were conducted on 355 voided orders (33%). Errors were associated with multiple factors not just a single risk factor. The causal contributors included a combination of technological-, cognitive-, environment-, social-, and organization-level factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS025443.
Citation:
Abraham J, Galanter WL, Touchette D .
Risk factors associated with medication ordering errors.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021 Jan 15;28(1):86-94. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa264..
Keywords:
Medication: Safety, Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Medication: Safety, Medication, Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Risk, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety
Everson J, Cheng AK, Patrick SW
Association of electronic prescribing of controlled substances with opioid prescribing rates.
The purpose of this study was to assess the association between use of electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) and trends in opioid prescribing. Results suggested that an increased use of EPCS was not associated with decreased opioid prescribing or a decrease in the amount prescribed and may have been associated with a small increase in opioid prescribing. Recommendations included levers to ensure that EPCS is integrated with outside data and that information is actively used to inform prescribing decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation:
Everson J, Cheng AK, Patrick SW .
Association of electronic prescribing of controlled substances with opioid prescribing rates.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Dec;3(12):e2027951. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.27951..
Keywords:
Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Provider
Holmgren AJ, Co Z, Newmark L
Assessing the safety of electronic health records: a national longitudinal study of medication-related decision support.
The authors tested how well EHRs prevented medication errors with the potential for patient harm. Data from a national, longitudinal sample of 1527 hospitals in the US from 2009-16 who took a safety performance assessment test using simulated medication orders was used. The authors found that hospital medication order safety performance improved over time. They conclude that intentional quality improvement efforts appear to be a critical part of high safety performance and may indicate the importance of a culture of safety.
AHRQ-funded; HS023696.
Citation:
Holmgren AJ, Co Z, Newmark L .
Assessing the safety of electronic health records: a national longitudinal study of medication-related decision support.
BMJ Qual Saf 2020 Jan;29(1):52-59. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2019-009609..
Keywords:
Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety, Medication, Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Medication: Safety, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Decision Making
Adelman JS, Applebaum JR, Southern WN
Risk of wrong-patient orders among multiple vs singleton births in the neonatal intensive care units of 2 integrated health care systems.
Researchers assessed the risk of wrong-patient orders among multiple-birth infants and singletons receiving care in the NICU and examined the proportion of wrong-patient orders between multiple-birth infants and siblings (intrafamilial errors) and between multiple-birth infants and nonsiblings (extrafamilial errors). They found that multiple-birth status in the NICU is associated with significantly increased risk of wrong-patient orders compared with singleton-birth status. Strategies to reduce this risk include using given names at birth, changing from temporary to given names when available, and encouraging parents to select names for multiple births before they are born when acceptable to families.
AHRQ-funded; HS024538.
Citation:
Adelman JS, Applebaum JR, Southern WN .
Risk of wrong-patient orders among multiple vs singleton births in the neonatal intensive care units of 2 integrated health care systems.
JAMA Pediatr 2019 Oct 10;173(10):979-85. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.2733..
Keywords:
Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Bucher BT, Ferraro JP, Finlayson SRG
Use of computerized provider order entry events for postoperative complication surveillance.
The purpose of this study was to determine if a surveillance system using computerized provider order entry (CPOE) events for selected medications as well as laboratory, microbiologic, and radiologic orders can decrease the manual medical record review burden for surveillance of postoperative complications. Results showed that a CPOE-based surveillance of postoperative complications has high negative predictive value, demonstrating that this approach can augment the currently used, resource-intensive manual medical record review process.
AHRQ-funded; HS025776.
Citation:
Bucher BT, Ferraro JP, Finlayson SRG .
Use of computerized provider order entry events for postoperative complication surveillance.
JAMA Surg 2019 Apr;154(4):311-18. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2018.4874..
Keywords:
Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Adverse Events, Surgery, Patient Safety
Lindau ST
CommunityRx, an e-prescribing system connecting people to community resources.
CommunityRx is an e-prescribing system that make it easier for patients in communities to connect with health resources. NowPow, LLC is an information technology enterprise that is part of CommunityRx. NowPow participated in AHRQ’s EvidenceNow grants program and worked with hundreds of small Midwestern primary care practices in the Healthy Hearts in the Heartland study. By 2018, over 1600 youths had been employed (many for the first-time) and generated annual asset census for Chicago, New York, and two rural areas of North Carolina. CommunityRx has been successful in providing health resource information to lower-income communities such as Chicago’s South Side. They also found that half of people who received a HealtheRx e-prescription use the information to help others.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation:
Lindau ST .
CommunityRx, an e-prescribing system connecting people to community resources.
Am J Public Health 2019 Apr;109(4):546-47. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2019.304986..
Keywords:
Access to Care, Community-Based Practice, Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Evidence-Based Practice, Health Information Technology (HIT), Medication, Vulnerable Populations
Garabedian PM, Wright A, Newbury I
Comparison of a prototype for indications-based prescribing with 2 commercial prescribing systems.
The objective of this study was to evaluate, in comparison with the prescribing modules of 2 leading electronic health record prescribing systems, the efficiency, error rate, and satisfaction with a new computerized provider order entry prototype for the outpatient setting that allows clinicians to initiate prescribing using the indication. The investigators found that reengineering prescribing to start with the drug indication allowed indications to be captured in an easy and useful way, which may be associated with saved time and effort, reduced medication errors, and increased clinician satisfaction.
AHRQ-funded; HS023694.
Citation:
Garabedian PM, Wright A, Newbury I .
Comparison of a prototype for indications-based prescribing with 2 commercial prescribing systems.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Mar;2(3):e191514. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.1514..
Keywords:
Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medication
Gabriel MH, Powers C, Encinosa W
E-prescribing and adverse drug events: an observational study of the Medicare part D population with diabetes.
The researchers examined the impact of e-prescribing on emergency visits or hospitalizations for diabetes-related adverse drug events (ADEs) including hypoglycemia. They concluded that at the e-prescribing threshold of 75 percent and above, there were significant reductions in ADE risk.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Gabriel MH, Powers C, Encinosa W .
E-prescribing and adverse drug events: an observational study of the Medicare part D population with diabetes.
Med Care 2017 May;55(5):456-62. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000684.
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Keywords:
Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Diabetes, Medicare, Medication
Adams KT, Howe JL, Fong A
An analysis of patient safety incident reports associated with electronic health record interoperability.
The study’s objectives were to (1) identify patient safety incident reports that reflect EHR interoperability challenges with other health IT, and (2) perform a detailed analysis of these reports. It found that the majority of EHR interoperability patient safety event (PSE) reports involved interfacing with pharmacy systems (i.e. medication related), followed by laboratory, and radiology. Most of the interoperability challenges in these clinical areas were associated with the EHR receiving information from other health IT systems.
AHRQ-funded; HS023701.
Citation:
Adams KT, Howe JL, Fong A .
An analysis of patient safety incident reports associated with electronic health record interoperability.
Appl Clin Inform 2017 Feb;8(2):593-602. doi: 10.4338/ACI-2017-01-RA-0014.
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Keywords:
Healthcare Delivery, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Medication: Safety, Patient Safety
Beeler PE, Orav EJ, Seger DL
Provider variation in responses to warnings: do the same providers run stop signs repeatedly?
Variation in the use of tests and treatments has been demonstrated to be substantial between providers and geographic regions. This study assessed variation between outpatient providers in overriding electronic prescribing warnings. It concluded that the decision to override prescribing warnings shows variation between providers, and the magnitude of variation differs among the clinical domains of the warnings; more variation was observed in areas with more inappropriate overrides.
AHRQ-funded; HS021094.
Citation:
Beeler PE, Orav EJ, Seger DL .
Provider variation in responses to warnings: do the same providers run stop signs repeatedly?
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Apr;23(e1):e93-8. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv117.
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Keywords:
Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Medication: Safety, Medical Errors, Practice Patterns
Powers C, Gabriel MH, Encinosa W
Meaningful use stage 2 e-prescribing threshold and adverse drug events in the Medicare Part D population with diabetes.
The authors investigated whether physicians who meet the meaningful use stage 2 threshold for e-prescribing (50 percent of prescriptions e-prescribed) have lower rates of ADEs among their diabetic patients. They found that physician e-prescribing to Medicare beneficiaries was associated with reduced risk of ADEs among their diabetes patients, as were several prescriber and panel characteristics.
AHRQ-authored
Citation:
Powers C, Gabriel MH, Encinosa W .
Meaningful use stage 2 e-prescribing threshold and adverse drug events in the Medicare Part D population with diabetes.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2015 Sep;22(5):1094-8. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv036..
Keywords:
Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Diabetes, Medication, Patient Safety
Abbott AA, Fuji KT, Galt KA
A qualitative case study exploring nurse engagement with electronic health records and e-prescribing.
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe how nurses adapt to using an electronic health record with electronic prescribing (e-Rx) system in a rural ambulatory care practice. Findings showed that nurses adjust their routine in response to providers' preferential behavior yet retained focus on the patient and care coordination. e-Rx adoption increased workload and introduced safety risks.
AHRQ-funded; HS018625.
Citation:
Abbott AA, Fuji KT, Galt KA .
A qualitative case study exploring nurse engagement with electronic health records and e-prescribing.
West J Nurs Res 2015 Jul;37(7):935-51. doi: 10.1177/0193945914567359.
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Keywords:
Case Study, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Nursing, Patient Safety
Joseph S, Sow M, Furukawa MF
HITECH spurs EHR vendor competition and innovation, resulting in increased adoption.
This study examined the impact of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). It found increased provider adoption and also provides the first evidence of increased competitiveness and innovation in the electronic health records industry spurred by HITECH.
AHRQ-authored
Citation:
Joseph S, Sow M, Furukawa MF .
HITECH spurs EHR vendor competition and innovation, resulting in increased adoption.
Am J Manag Care. 2014 Sep;20(9):734-40..
Keywords:
Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Costs, Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Pevnick JM, Li N, Asch SM
Effect of electronic prescribing with formulary decision support on medication tier, copayments, and adherence.
The researchers evaluated whether formulary decision support (FDS) could reduce patient medication costs, and thereby improve adherence. In the studied population, interruptive FDS shifted prescribing toward preferred tier medications, but these medications were only minimally less expensive for patients. Thus, FDS did not significantly increase adherence.
AHRQ-funded; HS016391.
Citation:
Pevnick JM, Li N, Asch SM .
Effect of electronic prescribing with formulary decision support on medication tier, copayments, and adherence.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2014;14:79. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-14-79..
Keywords:
Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Medication, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Bergeron AR, Webb JR, Serper M
Impact of electronic prescribing on medication use in ambulatory care.
This study investigated differences before and after rollout of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) in (1) patients’ primary adherence to newly prescribed medications, (2) patients' understanding of how to use their medications, and (3) multiple pharmacy use. It found an increase in abandoned prescriptions immediately following the implementation of e-prescribing. However, with time, these issues were resolved and even improved to rates lower than baseline.
AHRQ-funded; HS017220.
Citation:
Bergeron AR, Webb JR, Serper M .
Impact of electronic prescribing on medication use in ambulatory care.
Am J Manag Care 2013 Dec;19(12):1012-7..
Keywords:
Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Medication
Abramson EL, Pfoh ER, Barron Y
The effects of electronic prescribing by community-based providers on ambulatory medication safety.
This study was conducted to assess the effect of implementing a commercial electronic health record with e-prescribing on rates and types of prescribing errors. Use of e-prescribing resulted in relatively low error rates (6.0 errors per 100 prescriptions). These rates were sustained over time but without further improvement (6.0 versus 4.5 errors per 100) prescriptions).
AHRQ-funded; HS016970.
Citation:
Abramson EL, Pfoh ER, Barron Y .
The effects of electronic prescribing by community-based providers on ambulatory medication safety.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2013 Dec;39(12):545-52..
Keywords:
Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medication: Safety, Medication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
