Potential safety gaps in order entry and automated drug alerts: a nationwide survey of VA physician self-reported practices with computerized order entry.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding provider perceptions of and experiences with order entry and order checks (drug alerts) in an electronic prescribing system may help improve medication safety technology.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional, national survey of Veterans Administration physicians practicing in various specialties.

MEASUREMENT: Thirty-five question instrument was divided into 4 content domains. Response options included dichotomous, numeric, multiple choices, and Likert-like scales. Statistical methods included logistic regression.

RESULTS: The adjusted response rate was 1543 of 3588 (43%). Almost all providers (90%) felt that the VA electronic prescribing system, including its order checks, improved prescribing safety to some degree. Most respondents (72%) reported that they always or almost always document outside medications in a clinic note, although only 44% always or almost always entered outside medications in the non-VA medication data field. Most physicians (88%) who encountered serious allergic or adverse drug reactions reported either notifying a pharmacist or entering the information in the allergies/adverse reactions field. Generalists and physicians with higher numbers of prescriptions were more likely to enter relevant data into the electronic medical record (or notify a pharmacist, in the case of adverse reactions). In addition, 48% of providers described critical drug-drug interaction alerts as very useful; medical specialists found these less useful, whereas surgical specialists found these more useful when compared with generalists.

LIMITATIONS: Survey was conducted within a single healthcare system.

CONCLUSION: Computerized provider order entry and related order checks are perceived to improve prescribing safety; however, provider entry of some relevant information into the appropriate electronic fields may not be optimal.