Implementation of a School-wide Clinical Intervention Documentation System

Abstract

To evaluate the effectiveness and impact of a customized Web-based software program implemented in 2006 for school-wide documentation of clinical interventions by pharmacy practice faculty members, pharmacy residents, and student pharmacists. The implementation process, directed by a committee of faculty members and school administrators, included preparation and refinement of the software, user training, development of forms and reports, and integration of the documentation process within the curriculum. Use of the documentation tool consistently increased from May 2007 to December 2010. Over 187,000 interventions were documented with over $6.2 million in associated cost avoidance. Successful implementation of a school-wide documentation tool required considerable time from the oversight committee and a comprehensive training program for all users, with ongoing monitoring of data collection practices. Data collected proved to be useful to show the impact of faculty members, residents, and student pharmacists at affiliated training sites.