Emory CPOE Case Study

What are main reasons why Emory decided to implement CPOE systems? Were these good reasons?

Prior to the CPOE implementation at Emory, physicians were writing out order sheets by hand and submitting a verbal request with a nurse. Everything from placing stat orders to sending medication forms to the pharmacy all went by the unit clerk. After implementing the CPOE system, the entire ordering process changed by holding the physicians accountable. The CPOE system enabled physicians to: place orders with a computer (instead of writing it down), place orders as long as they were connected to the internet, and enabled physicians to place their own lab / radiology orders rather than having the unit clerk place them (3, 4). I believe the implementation of the CPOE system was positive overall. The positive effects include; the new order entry system is very customizable which allows the CPOE team to continuously improve the system, the system put more work on the physicians which let other healthcare workers perform other tasks, and the electronic ordering eliminates and reduces errors.

Why won’t CPOE’s eliminate all medical errors?

The CPOE will not eliminate all medical errors due to human error. As Dr. Matthews said, “The most common mistake that you see is orders entered on the wrong patient, because the mouse was off by a few millimeters when you selected an order” (4). On top of this, there are less computer-savvy physicians who reject using CPOE since it is a hindrance to medicine. While neglecting to use the CPOE system isn’t directly linked to causing errors, I believe that there will be more errors for the physicians who choose to write orders. Lastly, I think there will still be medical errors that arise with software and hardware problems. All software, including Emory’s new CPOE system, will need continuous improvements to keep the system up and running smoothly.  

Are there any suggestions you have for how to create a culture where people are willing to adapt to unforeseen problems with such a complex system like EHRs and CPOE?

Personally, I have encountered a situation where people are opposed to adapting to a new system that they do not see the benefits too. This summer I interned at a commercial real estate company. The company was looking into using Salesforce in order to better manage there 20+ accounts. Each account contained several agents, neighborhoods, clients, financials, contracts, and so much more. In the first few meetings we spoke about using Salesforce, half of our team was split thinking that, “it wouldn’t be a good option”. However, after further instructional videos and demonstrations from salesforce, our team was able to grasp the benefits from the new system. I would recommend this similar process when implementing a new system like EHRs or CPOE. Make sure you let your team (or company) understand the benefits of the new system and how the new system improves upon the past systems faults.