Health Systems Use McKesson's CPOE Solution to Enhance Patient Outcomes, Improve Medication Safety

An independent panel of judges selected the winners based on their use of CPOE to solve specific business issues by achieving clinical and financial results. The judges also took into consideration the methodology used to measure results, with the ultimate goal of identifying best practices and replicable models of CPOE success to drive a systems-based approach to quality improvements.

“These hospitals have demonstrated that the adoption and effective use of CPOE and electronic health records can bring measurable benefit to the facility, and more importantly, to the patient,” said Sunny Sanyal, chief operating officer, McKesson Provider Technologies. “Using CPOE technology can not only help caregivers in their efforts to avoid medication errors, it is also an excellent communication tool that connects the clinical team in a more collaborative, evidence-based care process.”

In the CPOE competition, Decatur Memorial Hospital won top honors for using Horizon Expert Orders™, McKesson’s CPOE solution, to help medical staff improve patient outcomes and decrease variability in the blood transfusion process. In addition to educating physicians and staff on the appropriate use of blood, Decatur embedded evidence-based content and a comprehensive clinical process within the CPOE system to ensure that transfusions were administered based on appropriate hemoglobin values. Decatur realized substantial reductions in blood prescribing habits, from an average of 290 units of blood per month to 245 units over a two-year period-decreasing associated risk to patients. The hospital also improved patient safety and outcomes, enhanced the use of evidence-based practice, and saved up to $270,000 per year in blood-related costs. The use of data analysis tools and clinical alerts for continuous monitoring also played a key role in Decatur’s process improvement effort.

Dupont Hospital was selected as a finalist in the competition for using the Horizon Expert Orders system to help caregivers improve patient safety and efficiency in its obstetrical unit – the largest in the Fort Wayne community – where patients often arrive in active labor. The electronic system improved the clinical staff’s ability to provide faster patient care by eliminating delays related to confirming illegible handwriting. This helped decrease medication/order turnaround times by 49 percent. The streamlined process also enabled Dupont to reduce STAT medication overrides by 24 percent (1.55/birth) and freed nurses from administrative tasks so they have more time to spend in direct patient care.

Also recognized as a finalist, WellStar Health System used CPOE in its high-volume emergency department (ED) to increase compliance with the “Surviving Sepsis Campaign.” The organization deployed sepsis bundles (a group of interventions related to a disease process) and a comprehensive clinical process within the CPOE system to improve the selection and timely administration of antibiotics as well as the overall care process for patients with sepsis. This also enabled interventions initiated by ED physicians to continue without interruption when patients with sepsis transitioned to the intensive-care setting. WellStar decreased the risk-adjusted mortality index by 17 percent, reduced length of stay by 10 percent and decreased the cost per case by 4 percent. Most important, the health system estimates that more than 11 lives have been saved through the initiative.

A panel of industry experts served as judges for the CPOE metrics competition, using a point scale to evaluate written entries and oral presentations. The judges included:

• Leah Binder, MA, MGA, chief executive officer, The Leapfrog Group
• Jason Hess, MBA, general manager of Clinical Research, KLAS Enterprises, LLC
• Susan Nedza, MD, MBA, FACEP, vice president, Clinical Quality and Patient Safety, American Medical Association
• Rich Rydell, MBA, president, Association of Medical Directors for Information Systems (AMDIS)
• Scott Weingarten, MD, MPH, president and chief executive officer, Zynx Health

About McKesson

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson is the longest-operating company in healthcare today, marking its 175^th anniversary last year. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.