Rapid Prototyping and Implementation of Electronic Order Sets for Critically Ill Adults with COVID-19 Admitted to a Children's Hospital

Abstract

Abstract Objectives An eight-bed adult coronavirus (COVID-19) critical care (CC) unit was established within our pediatric CC unit (PCCU) when SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) variants increased the CC bed demand. Our objective was to rapidly implement electronic order sets (OSs) to facilitate computerized provider order entry (CPOE) for adult patients admitted within a children's hospital. Methods OS development began from the assessment of OSs from seven adult CC units. Using a pre-existing PCCU admission template, we created two OSs: adult COVID-19 admission and ongoing care. We tested the prototypes in a multidisciplinary onsite–virtual hybrid tabletop simulation to evaluate usability within established workflows. Participants utilized role-specific profiles within the electronic health record (EHR) training environment which paralleled their computer interface, permitting charting and documentation. EHR analysts were present to gather change requests. Following implementation, we performed twice-daily huddles with end users to identify issues. Results A total of 13 multidisciplinary bedside providers participated in simulation testing of the prototypes. Two safety issues were addressed before implementation. The electronic OSs were developed, tested, and implemented within 8 days. The postimplementation huddles identified one medication addition, and no deletions were necessary. Conclusion Caring for adult COVID-19 patients within a freestanding children's hospital presents challenges and has the potential to introduce latent safety threats. Rapid development and implementation of electronic OSs within 8 days to facilitate CPOE and reduce health care provider cognitive burden relied on leveraging functionality within the EMR system, performing iterative testing with a tabletop simulation, integration into previously established workflows, and gathering post-implementation feedback for continuous improvement.