Clinical Decision Support in Electronic Prescribing: Recommendations and an Action Plan
Advances in the capabilities, usability and customizability of CDS systems, new mechanisms to provide access to current knowledge, accelerated implementation of standards and coding systems, and appropriate incentives for use are all necessary in order to realize the full positive impact of CDS on healthcare.

Electronic alerts to prevent venous thromboembolism among hospitalized patients
The institution of a computer-alert program increased physicians' use of prophylaxis and markedly reduced the rates of deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism among hospitalized patients at risk.

Effects of computerized clinical decision support systems on practitioner performance and patient outcomes: a systematic review
The CDSS improved practitioner performance in 62 (64%) of the 97 studies assessing this outcome, including 4 (40%) of 10 diagnostic systems, 16 (76%) of 21 reminder systems, 23 (62%) of 37 disease management systems, and 19 (66%) of 29 drug-dosing or prescribing systems. Fifty-two trials assessed 1 or more patient outcomes, of which 7 trials (13%) reported improvements. Improved practitioner performance was associated with CDSSs that automatically prompted users compared with requiring users to activate the system (success in 73% of trials vs 47%; P = .02) and studies in which the authors also developed the CDSS software compared with studies in which the authors were not the developers (74% success vs 28%; respectively, P = .001).

Role of computerized physician order entry systems in facilitating medication errors
This study found that a leading CPOE system often facilitated medication error risks, with many reported to occur frequently. As CPOE systems are implemented, clinicians and hospitals must attend to errors that these systems cause in addition to errors that they prevent. Note: This study only looked at one CPOE system implemented at one facility. In addition, they did not ask any questions about what types or quanities of errors were happening prior to CPOE implementation. While not a surprise to many experienced informaticians, many worry that this article will lead to unfortunate delays in CPOE purchase and implementation decisions. Response from the AMIA.

Reactive to Adaptive: Transforming Hospitals with Digital Technology
The digital hospital relies on technology as an integral and fundamental part of its business strategy. It enables organizations to fully realize a hospital's latent potential for delivering higher quality care in increasingly efficient ways through the use of information technology and process redesign. The digital hospital goes beyond advanced clinical systems and includes significant additional integration between information technologies and medical technologies—such as patient beds, surgical equipment, nurse call and communications systems, pagers, and medical imaging technologies. This research found that digitally advanced hospitals generally tend to have reduced length of stay, increased quality of care, and increased revenues. However, benefits may take years to realize and usually require significant investment.

Many Nationwide Believe in the Potential Benefits of Electronic Medical Records and are Interested in Online Communications with Physicians
Approximately 3/4 of online adults believe that the use of these records can improve the quality of care patients receive by reducing the number of redundant or unnecessary tests and procedures they receive (76%) and that they can significantly reduce healthcare costs (73%). A lower percentage believe that the use of electronic medical records can significantly decrease the frequency of medical errors (62%). While many see the potential benefits of using this technology, two-thirds (67%) of online adults are also concerned that their use might make it more difficult to ensure patients privacy.

Using RFID to Track Patients
The wristwatch-sized device is one-eighth the price of the average competitive tags marketed for patient location. It's designed to maximize comfort, safety and convenience across a patient's length of stay. It can even be worn safely in the shower. The Radianse single-use tag can be slipped onto a patient's ID wrist band. Or a hospital can choose to print patient ID information on Radianse tamper-resistant wrist bands using existing printers.

The Emergence of National Electronic Health Record Architectures in the United States and Australia: Models, Costs, and Questions
The US and Australian models are contrasted in their different architectures (“pull” versus “push”) and their different approaches to patient autonomy, privacy, and confidentiality. The article also discusses some of the professional, practical, and legal challenges that health care providers potentially face both during and after electronic health record implementation.

The Quality Cure?
There is an aphorism for such behavior in the business world: ''You manage what you measure.'' If doctors measure how long it takes to deliver an EKG, then EKG's are delivered faster. America's fee-for-service system does not require doctors to measure. It rewards them for each instance of delivered ''care,'' Cutler notes, but not necessarily for the end result -- for ''health.''