Computerized provider order entry and patient safety.

Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) and clinical decision support (CDS) are advocated health care information technologies for improving patient safety through reduction and prevention of medication errors. CPOE and DCS target specific errors in medication processes, particularly in prescribing and ordering. These are of particular importance in pediatrics, because children may be more vulnerable to prescribing errors than adults. Studies of CPOE/CDS performed at academic medical centers have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing medication process errors in pediatrics, but scant data so far show effects on health outcomes. CPOE/CDS adoption requires significant expertise in health care processes, information technology, and change management. Adoption is a high-cost, high-risk venture with political implications.