Patients benefit when doctor uses computer, not paper, to write pre...( COLUMBUS Ohio Hospitals may be able t...),Health

COLUMBUS, Ohio Hospitals may be able to significantly cut the time it takes to deliver medications to patients and complete X-rays and lab tests by having doctors fill out orders via computer rather than by hand, a new study suggests.

Results showed that computerized ordering also eliminated prescription drug errors that occurred when doctors' handwritten prescriptions were misread.

The study found that computerizing physician orders cut medication turn-around times by 64 percent, cut turn-around times for X-rays and other radiology procedures by 43 percent, and reduced turn-around times for lab tests by 25 percent.

Overall, computerized physician order entry (POE) seems to be good for both patients and hospitals, said Hagop Mekhjian, the study's lead author and chief medical officer for Ohio State University's health system.

"We found that it enhances patient care by improving work flow and efficiency and by reducing transcription errors," Mekhjian said, adding that the hospitals initially invested about $5 million in the program.

Even at that cost, introducing a computerized order entry system wasn't a real burden for Ohio State's health system, he said.

"There weren't any significant negative results, despite the major cultural change that stemmed from introducing thi
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Contact: Hagop Mekhjian
Mekhjian.1@osu.edu
614-293-8158
Ohio State University
4-Feb-2003

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