Computerized Provider Order Entry: The Basics
Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) refers to the process of providers entering and sending treatment instructions – including medication, laboratory, and radiology orders – via a computer application rather than paper, fax, or telephone.
Why It Matters
CPOE has several benefits. CPOE can help your organization:
- Reduce errors and improve patient safety: At a minimum, CPOE can help your organization reduce errors by ensuring providers produce standardized, legible, and complete orders. In addition, CPOE technology often includes built-in clinical decision support tools that can automatically check for drug interactions, medication allergies, and other potential problems.
- Improve efficiency: By enabling providers to submit orders electronically, CPOE can help your organization get medication, laboratory, and radiology orders to pharmacies, laboratories, and radiology facilities faster, saving time and improving efficiency.
- Improve reimbursements: Some orders require pre-approvals from insurance plans. CPOE, when integrated with an electronic practice management system, can flag orders that require pre-approval, helping you reduce denied insurance claims.
In short, CPOE is safer and more efficient for providers and patients.
Achieving Meaningful Use
CPOE is a core meaningful use objective for Stage 1 and Stage 2 meaningful use. Learn more:
- Stage 1: Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) for Medication Orders
- Stage 2: Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) for Medication, Laboratory and Radiology Orders
For More Information
For more information about CPOE, see the following resources.