Future research is needed to address the cost-benefit ratio of the installation of computerized order systems.
Laboratory and radiology orders were entered by nurses by a separate computerized ordering system, and laboratory test results were retrieved by a query in the system used for ordering or by querying a third system, an enterprise-wide clinical data repository.
"The verdict is still out," says Marlene Miller, director of safety for Johns Hopkins Children's Center, which plans to install a computerized ordering system this year and is spending months programming dosing rules for kids, which the software doesn't offer.
Among other missteps, an early snafu with its computerized ordering system caused product shortages at many stores, and some of Fresh & Easy's private-label products were costlier than their brand-name counterparts.
Little information on the was provided in the studies on the usage of medication safety interventions in the study hospitals, such as a computerized ordering system, was provided.
Computerized ordering systems can deal with tax rules far more easily than workers using typewriters and reference charts.
She said hospitals that were short on cash might hesitate to buy expensive computerized ordering systems or to hire intensive-care specialists.
Computerized ordering systems based on A.C.R. Appropriateness Criteria help doctors prescribe the best exam for a patient's condition and reduce unnecessary scans.
Computerized ordering systems, expert systems to manage complex sales, computerized logs for after-sales support, computerized catalogs for replacement parts, 24-hour answering machines to take customer complaints, inexpensive fax machines all of these speed up communication and break down functional barriers.
Preprinted order sets or computerized ordering systems with adequate technical support are useful tools for facilitating appropriate glycemic therapy (8, 11, 145).
