Experience with computerized chemotherapy order entry

The elimination of errors related to chemotherapy administration remains an elusive goal. Computerized order entry has been shown to reduce errors. We assessed a chemotherapy computer order entry system for errors related to dosing and for the time required to prepare chemotherapy orders.

A prospective study of all patients treated with chemotherapy over a 12-month period was performed. Chemotherapy order sets done via computerized order entry were reviewed for errors related to drug selection, dose calculations, decimal-point errors, and for exceeding a warning level set within the system. We also measured the time required to produce three order sets by hand versus by computer.

There were no errors in dose calculations, decimal points, or drug selection for 2,558 drug administrations in 235 patients treated with 26 different chemotherapy regimens. The dose warning level was exceeded in 152 (6%) of drug administrations, but never without user permission to override the warning. The average time saved per order set using computer order entry was 10 minutes (P < .05).

By using computer order entry with error-checking algorithms, it may be possible to eliminate a number of types of errors associated with chemotherapy administration without sacrificing efficiency.