This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response to this article Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dumasia, L. Articles by Drelichman, A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Dumasia, L. Articles by Drelichman, A. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Quality Performance Improvement With the Implementation of Standard Chemotherapy Order Forms

Division of Hematology-Oncology, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Hospital and Medical Centers, Southfield, MI

Corresponding author: Lena Dumasia, MD, Providence Hospital Cancer Center, 22301 Foster Winter Drive, Southfield, MI 48075, Lena.Dumasia{at}providence-stjohnhealth.org

PURPOSE: Before October 2000, physicians in our institution handwrote chemotherapy orders on blank order sheets. There was no standard to which the physician could include variables that were crucial to the completeness of a chemotherapy order. For this reason, chemotherapy orders were frequently incomplete and had to be adjusted by the pharmacist after discussing the missing variables with the ordering physician. As a part of our goal to minimize errors, standard chemotherapy forms were initiated at our institution in October 2000.

METHODS: The first standard form implemented was a written order form that constituted a standard of the ideal variables necessary to accurately complete chemotherapy orders. These variables were the diagnosis, regimen, height, weight, body surface area (BSA), route, frequency, duration and chemotherapy dose and calculation based upon BSA. The next updated form was an electronic version similar to the original, and was implemented in April 2002.

RESULTS: From February 1999 to March 2000, using the traditional unstandardized blank order sheets, the average order completeness was 45%. After the standard written forms were introduced, from October 2000 to March 2002, the average chemotherapy order completeness was 81%, an improvement of 36%. Completeness improved to an average of 93% from April 2002 to December 2003, after the implementation of the electronic chemotherapy form.

CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy order completeness improves considerably through the standardization of chemotherapy order forms. The electronic forms show an additional improvement over handwritten forms. Electronic standardization of chemotherapy forms should be adopted as a best-practice model in hematology-oncology practices throughout the country.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?