Key attributes of a successful physician order entry system implementation in a multi-hospital environment

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Workflow Optimization
• Information Systems in Healthcare

Background:

• Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems are recognized for benefits but present significant implementation hurdles.
• Organizational and technical challenges often impede the successful adoption of CPOE systems in healthcare institutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the successful implementation of a CPOE system at Ohio State University Health System.
• To identify key factors contributing to clinician acceptance of CPOE systems despite workflow changes.

Main Methods:

• Extensive implementation of a CPOE system across inpatient units following a multi-year planning and pilot phase.
• System deployment focused on physicians as primary users, with orders processed through the system by physicians, nursing, and other licensed care providers.
• Success measured by system deployability across diverse clinical environments, physician focus, and clinician acceptance.

Main Results:

• The CPOE system was extensively implemented across inpatient units, with 80% of orders entered by physicians.
• The system demonstrated deployability across diverse clinical settings and achieved high clinician acceptance.
• Key success factors included specialty-specific order sets, physician leadership engagement, and large-scale implementation.

Conclusions:

• Successful CPOE implementation hinges on strategic factors that address workflow changes and promote user adoption.
• Physician leadership engagement and tailored resources like specialty order sets are critical for CPOE system success.
• The Ohio State University Health System's experience highlights a viable model for widespread CPOE adoption in complex healthcare environments.