Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
09:57

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Published on: September 20, 2024

The pros and cons of electronic prescribing for children

Neil A Caldwell1, Brian Power

  • 1Pharmacy Department, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Wirral, UK. neil.caldwell@nhs.net

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|June 21, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Electronic prescribing (EP) systems reduce medication errors in adults. Customised paediatric EP with clinical decision support shows promise for children, but further research is needed for optimization.

Area of Science:

  • * Health Informatics
  • * Paediatric Pharmacology
  • * Patient Safety

Background:

  • * Transition from paper-based to electronic prescribing (EP) systems is recommended.
  • * Adult studies demonstrate significant medication error reduction with EP.
  • * Paediatric adaptation of EP presents unique challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To explore the benefits of customised electronic prescribing systems in paediatrics.
  • * To investigate the role of clinical decision support in paediatric medication safety.
  • * To identify areas for optimisation in paediatric EP systems.

Main Methods:

  • * Review of existing literature on electronic prescribing in adult and paediatric settings.
  • * Analysis of challenges and benefits of tailoring EP systems for children.
  • * Conceptual development of customised paediatric EP with clinical decision support.

Main Results:

  • * Customised paediatric EP, especially with clinical decision support, offers significant potential for error reduction.
  • * Enhanced clinical effectiveness is a key benefit of tailored paediatric systems.
  • * Unintended consequences across the medication use process require careful consideration.

Conclusions:

  • * Tailored electronic prescribing systems with integrated paediatric clinical decision support are crucial for improving medication safety and effectiveness in children.
  • * Ongoing research is necessary to refine these systems and mitigate potential risks.
  • * Optimisation across the entire medication use process is essential for successful paediatric EP implementation.

Related Concept Videos

Methods of Documentation VII: EMR01:30

Methods of Documentation VII: EMR

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) primarily center around electronically documenting patients' health information within a single healthcare organization or practice. They contain essential clinical data related to a patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, lab results, and other pertinent information relevant to the specific encounter or episode of care. EMRs are designed to streamline documentation and workflow processes within individual healthcare settings,...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios01:26

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...