• Jeffrey R Spina, Peter A Glassman, Barbara Simon, Andrew Lanto, Martin Lee, Francesca Cunningham, and Chester B Good.
• VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA. Jeffrey.Spina@va.gov
• Med Care. 2011 Oct 1; 49 (10): 904-10.

ObjectiveUnderstanding provider perceptions of and experiences with order entry and order checks (drug alerts) in an electronic prescribing system may help improve medication safety technology.DesignCross-sectional, national survey of Veterans Administration physicians practicing in various specialties.MeasurementThirty-five question instrument was divided into 4 content domains. Response options included dichotomous, numeric, multiple choices, and Likert-like scales. Statistical methods included logistic regression.ResultsThe adjusted response rate was 1543 of 3588 (43%). Almost all providers (90%) felt that the VA electronic prescribing system, including its order checks, improved prescribing safety to some degree. Most respondents (72%) reported that they always or almost always document outside medications in a clinic note, although only 44% always or almost always entered outside medications in the non-VA medication data field. Most physicians (88%) who encountered serious allergic or adverse drug reactions reported either notifying a pharmacist or entering the information in the allergies/adverse reactions field. Generalists and physicians with higher numbers of prescriptions were more likely to enter relevant data into the electronic medical record (or notify a pharmacist, in the case of adverse reactions). In addition, 48% of providers described critical drug-drug interaction alerts as very useful; medical specialists found these less useful, whereas surgical specialists found these more useful when compared with generalists.LimitationsSurvey was conducted within a single healthcare system.ConclusionComputerized provider order entry and related order checks are perceived to improve prescribing safety; however, provider entry of some relevant information into the appropriate electronic fields may not be optimal.

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