AHRQ Health IT Update: CDS for Blood Clots

AHRQ Health IT Update: CDS for Blood Clots

AHRQ Health IT Update: CDS for Blood Clots

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sent this bulletin at 01/30/2013 07:30 AM EST

CDS Tools to Prevent Venous Thromboembolism Shown to Decrease Preventable Harm

A recent AHRQ-funded study evaluated the impact of using mandatory clinical decision support (CDS) tools to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adult trauma patients. “Improved Prophylaxis and Decreased Rates of Preventable Harm With the Use of Mandatory Computerized Clinical Decision Support Tool for Prophylaxis for Venous Thromboembolism in Trauma” appeared in the October issue of Archives of Surgery. To improve best practices in VTE prevention, researchers implemented a mandatory computerized provider order entry tool and evaluated a checklist of VTE prevention best practices against each patient’s pharmacological and risk profile. Providers were prompted to order VTE prevention measures based on each patient’s level of risk. As a result of implementing the CDS tool, the proportion of patients who received appropriate VTE prevention therapies increased. To access the article, select http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23070407