Electronic solutions to safer hospital prescribing

Abstract

Routine clinical care in hospitals has become more reliant on digital technologies over the last decade. There are now a wide variety of electronic solutions aimed at improving patient safety and optimizing the use of medicines. This focused session will describe technologies available at key stages in the prescribing process: the decision to prescribe, the prescription generation, and the ongoing monitoring of therapy. To support the decision-making process, prescribing information is available in many different point-of-care digital solutions across various platforms such as online computerized guidelines and smartphone applications. However, there is often overwhelming information available to prescribers. Clinical decision support (CDS) tools can help because they allow more relevant information, often specific for the patient, to be embedded in the clinical workflow. Better still is the use of electronic prescribing medication administration (EPMA) systems either as standalone systems or as part of a wider electronic patient record. Such systems may influence prescribing decisions; for example, by promoting efficacious and cost-effective therapy. Other steps in the medicines use process can also be targeted by novel technologies such as automated dispensing systems and positive patient identification through barcode medication administration systems. Electronic medication administration records enable the precise monitoring of medication use on an individual patient surveillance level through to providing data for hospital-wide medication management strategies. Individually, all of these have been shown to effect safe prescribing. The advantage of combining these technological advances—which are already available in a limited number of integrated systems—cannot be underestimated and will become increasingly important to support tomorrow’s prescribers in providing optimal patient care. None declared.