Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25025346›Full record

ArticlePloS one2014

Indication alerts intercept drug name confusion errors during computerized entry of medication orders.

William L Galanter, Michelle L Bryson, Suzanne Falck, Rachel Rosenfield, Marci Laragh, Neeha Shrestha, Gordon D Schiff, Bruce L Lambert

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
6.7field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. A systematic literature review of LASA error interventions.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2021
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Compulsory Indications in Hospital Prescribing Software Tested with Antibacterial Prescriptions.AMIA Joint Summits on Translational Science proceedings. AMIA Joint Summits on Translational Science · 2024
    Article
  6. Examining medication ordering errors using AHRQ network of patient safety databases.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2023
    Observational
  7. Indication alerts to improve problem list documentation.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2022
    Article
  8. Indication or diagnosis should be required on prescriptions.Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · 2021
    Article
  9. Risk factors associated with medication ordering errors.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2021
    Article
  10. Observational
  11. Article
  12. Patient Safety: A Deep Concern to Caregivers.Innovations in pharmacy · 2019
    Article
  13. Using drug knowledgebase information to distinguish between look-alike-sound-alike drugs.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2018
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Learning from errors: analysis of medication order voiding in CPOE systems.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2017
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

William L GalanterDepartment of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago, Illinois, United States of America; Department of Pharmacy Practice UIC, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Michelle L BrysonDepartment of Pharmacy Practice UIC, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Suzanne FalckDepartment of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Rachel RosenfieldCollege of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Marci LaraghDepartment of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Neeha ShresthaDepartment of Pharmacy Administration UIC, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Gordon D SchiffDepartment of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Bruce L LambertDepartment of Communication Studies and Center for Communication and Health, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
University of Illinois Chicago · USHarvard University · USIndo-American Center · USNorthwestern University · US

Funding

Tools for Optimizing Medication Safety (TOP-MEDS)U19HS021093 · AHRQ · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · PI LAMBERT, BRUCE L. · 2011 to 2015
$4.3M
AHRQ HHS U19 HS021093AHRQ HHS U19HS021093
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundConfusion between similar drug names is a common cause of potentially harmful medication errors. Interventions to prevent these errors at the point of prescribing have had limited success. The purpose of this study is to measure whether indication alerts at the time of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) can intercept drug name confusion errors. METHODS AND

findingsA retrospective observational study of alerts provided to prescribers in a public, tertiary hospital and ambulatory practice with medication orders placed using CPOE. Consecutive patients seen from April 2006 through February 2012 were eligible if a clinician received an indication alert during ordering. A total of 54,499 unique patients were included. The computerized decision support system prompted prescribers to enter indications when certain medications were ordered without a coded indication in the electronic problem list. Alerts required prescribers either to ignore them by clicking OK, to place a problem in the problem list, or to cancel the order. Main outcome was the proportion of indication alerts resulting in the interception of drug name confusion errors. Error interception was determined using an algorithm to identify instances in which an alert triggered, the initial medication order was not completed, and the same prescriber ordered a similar-sounding medication on the same patient within 5 minutes. Similarity was defined using standard text similarity measures. Two clinicians performed chart review of all cases to determine whether the first, non-completed medication order had a documented or non-documented, plausible indication for use. If either reviewer found a plausible indication, the case was not considered an error. We analyzed 127,458 alerts and identified 176 intercepted drug name confusion errors, an interception rate of 0.14±.01%.

conclusionsIndication alerts intercepted 1.4 drug name confusion errors per 1000 alerts. Institutions with CPOE should consider using indication prompts to intercept drug name confusion errors.

Indexed as

Decision Support Systems, ClinicalMedication ErrorsHumansPhysiciansRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID25025346
PMCPMC4098994
OpenAlexW2112254928

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.