AHRQ Patient Safety Primer Highlights Benefits, Challenges of Computerized Provider Order Entry

Computerized provider order entry (CPOE), where clinicians enter medication orders into a computer system which then transmits the order directly to the pharmacy, are becoming more common in hospitals as a method to reduce medication errors, according to a patient safety primer available on AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network (PSNet). The primer provides a summary of the benefits and implementation issues commonly seen in CPOE use, including unintended consequences, alert fatigue and possible integration with Clinical Decision Support Systems. Select to access the full patient safety primer, titled Computerized Provider Order Entry.