Visual aid in electronic health record reduces duplicate orders

Results of a recent study showed the introduction of a visual aid into an electronic health record order entry system reduced unintentional duplicate orders for lab and radiology tests by 49% and 40% respectively. The study, which included nearly 184,700 patients, took place in the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) emergency department (ED) in Boston. In the electronic system, a red highlight illuminated around an order’s checkbox to alert practitioners when an order had already been placed during the same ED visit. The authors of the study explained the intervention could be used in other care settings, and BIDMC plans to develop additional user interfaces to account for the increased complexity different settings might require. (HealthData Management story, 12/3/19)