Are computerized physician order entry and clinical decision support systems effective for improving medication safety?
Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems automate the medication ordering process and ensure standardized, legible, and complete orders. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) provide computerized advice or assistance with drug selection, dosage, route of administration, duration, and some can perform advanced functions such as checks on drug-drug interactions, reminders on corollary orders, or incorporating patient- or pathogen-specific information. CDSSs are built into almost all CPOE systems but may be implemented without CPOE. For a related publication, see: Kaushal, R. and Bates, D.W. (2001). Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) with clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). In Shojania, K.G., Duncan, B.W., McDonald, K.M. et al (Eds). Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 43 (Prepared by the University of California at San Francisco – Stanford Evidence-Based Practice Center under Contr
