Three Keys To Successful CPOE Implementation

Susan D. Hall | FierceHealthIT | June 25, 2013

Training, support and anxiety management all are key to the implementation of computerized physician order entry systems, according to research published this week in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making.

The research involved at least eight hours of observation at five community hospitals in Massachusetts, as well as interviews with hospital executives, physicians, nurses and pharmacists.

The lessons learned were distilled down into five areas: governance, preparation, support, and perceptions and consequences. Successful hospitals created a clear decision-making structure that involved those most likely to use CPOE: doctors and nurses. They realized that one-size-fits-all training wouldn't work and provided extra help for those less computer savvy, and provided highly trained "at the elbow" peer users to work with staff as the systems were rolled out. They also recognized the fear associated with change and provided strong leadership to help manage that anxiety.