International journal of medical informatics
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Clinical event monitors are a type of active medication monitoring system that can use signals to alert clinicians to possible adverse drug reactions. The primary goal was to evaluate the positive predictive values of select signals used to automate the detection of ADRs in the medical intensive care unit. ⋯ Computerized clinical event monitoring systems should be considered when developing methods to detect adverse drug reactions as part of intensive care unit patient safety surveillance systems, since they can automate the detection of these events using signals that have good performance characteristics by processing commonly available laboratory and medication information.
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Effective interdisciplinary exchange of patient information is an essential component of safe, efficient, and patient-centered care in the intensive care unit (ICU). Frequent handoffs of patient care, high acuity of patient illness, and the increasing amount of available data complicate information exchange. Verbal communication can be affected by interruptions and time limitations. To supplement verbal communication, many ICUs rely on documentation in electronic health records (EHRs) to reduce errors of omission and information loss. The purpose of this study was to develop a model of EHR interdisciplinary information exchange of ICU common goals. ⋯ The model suggests that EHRs should support: (1) information tools for the explicit documentation of goals, interventions, and assessments with synthesized and summarized information outputs of events and updates; and (2) messaging tools that support collaborative decision-making and patient safety double checks that currently occur between nurses and physicians in the absence of EHR support.