Post-implementation optimization of medication alerts in hospital computerized provider order entry systems: a...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Hospital medication alerts are crucial for patient safety but can lead to alert fatigue.
• Post-implementation optimization strategies are needed to improve the effectiveness of these alerts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize interventions for optimizing hospital medication alerts after implementation.
• To evaluate the methods, populations, and effects of these optimization strategies.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review of MEDLINE and Embase databases (up to August 2023) was conducted.
• Sixteen studies were included, analyzing various alert types and optimization interventions.
• Snowball analysis was used to identify additional relevant studies.

Main Results:

• Six intervention types were identified, including alert inactivation and severity reclassification.
• Most interventions reduced alert quantity and improved alert acceptance.
• Alert severity reclassification significantly increased acceptance, especially for high-severity alerts.

Conclusions:

• Post-implementation alert optimization positively affects clinicians by reducing alert fatigue.
• Further research is needed to understand the impact on patient care and clinician perceptions.
• Effective alert optimization enhances clinical utility and reduces alert burden.