An unintended consequence associated with the use of an electronic hea

QUESTION

An unintended consequence associated with the use of an electronic health system occurs when:

a. a physician places a medication order with an inappropriate drug dose for a pediatric patient in a CPOE system.
b. a physician enters orders on a patient who was incorrectly selected from a drop-down list of the physician’s personal patient list.
c. a nurse enters a telephone order from the attending physician into the electronic health system and fails to read back the order.
d. a nurse enters PRN pain medication orders on a patient and fails to record the indications for each pain medication.

ANSWER:

ANS: B
The physician entering orders on a patient who was incorrectly selected from a drop-down list of the physician’s personal patient list would be an example of an unintended consequence. The other responses are examples of behaviors that are not unique to orders placed in an EHR and can occur in a paper system as well.