Research and Projects: AHRQ THQIT and SRD Portfolio

Georgia

Comprehensive IT Solution for Quality and Patient Safety

Description:  Implements a series of new health information technologies in carefully staged processes over 2 years to include an Inpatient Pharmacy System, Electronic Medication Administration Record, Bar Coding System, and a CPOE System; evaluates the impact of these systems on safety, quality, and efficiency.

Abstract:  DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the leading pediatric healthcare systems in the country, is in the process of implementing a series of new health information technologies to improve patient safety and quality as well as increase efficiency of all operations. Four related technologies, focusing on pharmacy, will be implemented in a carefully staged process over the next two years: 1. Inpatient Pharmacy System 2. Electronic Medication Administration Record 3. Bar Coding System 4. Computerized Provider Order Entry System CHOA has partnered with three unique organizations to implement and evaluate the impact of the technologies and the staged approach on safety, quality and efficiency: Epic Systems Corporation, which supplies the technology solutions, the Health Systems Research Center and the Laboratory for Human Computer Interaction and Health Care Informatics at Georgia Tech; and the Emory Center on Health Outcomes and Quality at Emory University. Georgia Tech and Emory will together provide the research and evaluation expertise needed to fully document and evaluate the HIT implementation as well as derive generalizable recommendations for optimal HIT implementation creating maximum benefit in terms of quality, safety, and efficiency.

Year 1 Funding:  $499,208

Estimated Total Funding:  $1,495,572

Principal Investigator:  Ann Beach

Applicant Institution:  Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

City/Town:  Atlanta, Georgia

State:  Georgia

Grant Number:  UC1 HS15236

Category:  Implementation Grants (THQIT)

Thesaurus Terms:  biomedical automation, cooperative study, health care quality, pediatrics, pharmacy, automated data processing, automated medical record system, computer assisted patient care, computer human interaction, informatics, patient care management, patient safety /medical error, behavioral /social science research tag, health services research tag

Project Start Date:  Sep 30, 2004

Project End Date:  Sep 29, 2007