What is the effect of electronic pathology ordering on test re-ordering patterns for paediatric patients?

Ling Li; Andrew Georgiou; Elia Vecellio; Alex Eigenstetter; George Toouli; Roger Wilson; Johanna I. Westbrook

doi:10.3233/978-1-61499-427-5-74

What is the effect of electronic pathology ordering on test re-ordering patterns for paediatric patients?

Ling Li^*, Andrew Georgiou, Elia Vecellio, Alex Eigenstetter, George Toouli, Roger Wilson, Johanna I. Westbrook

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

149 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Electronic ordering systems have the potential to enhance the efficient utilisation of pathology services. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of electronic pathology ordering on repeat test ordering for paediatric patients (ages 0 to 18 years) who were in intensive care units (ICUs) and non-ICU wards. The dataset described 85,728 pathology tests ordered for 5,073 children before and after the implementation of electronic ordering. This study showed that, for children in ICUs, the repeat test order rate was significantly lower for electronic orders than for paper-based orders. Similarly, the rate of repeat tests ordered within short intervals (up to 23-hours), for children older than one-year in non-ICU wards, was lower for electronic ordering than for paper ordering. The proportion of repeat tests occurring within one-hour of the previous test was consistently lower for tests ordered using electronic ordering than it was for tests ordered using the paper based system for patients older than one-year in all wards and for patients under one-year in ICUs. These results suggest that features of the electronic system, including alerts about previously ordered tests and the availability of information about previous orders, can help clinicians to identify and reduce unnecessary repeat tests.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Investing in E-Health
Subtitle of host publication	People, Knowledge and Technology for a Healthy Future - Selected Papers from the 22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014
Editors	Heather Grain, Fernando Martin-Sanchez, Louise K. Schaper
Place of Publication	Amsterdam
Publisher	IOS Press
Pages	74-79
Number of pages	6
Volume	204
ISBN (Electronic)	9781614994268
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-427-5-74
Publication status	Published - 2014
Externally published	Yes
Event	22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014 - Melbourne, Australia Duration: 11 Aug 2014 → 14 Aug 2014

Publication series

Name	Studies in Health Technology and Informatics
Volume	204
ISSN (Print)	0926-9630
ISSN (Electronic)	1879-8365

Other

Other	22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014
Country/Territory	Australia
City	Melbourne
Period	11/08/14 → 14/08/14

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) and Publisher 2014. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Access to Document

10.3233/978-1-61499-427-5-74

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 469 KB

Cite this

Li, L., Georgiou, A., Vecellio, E., Eigenstetter, A., Toouli, G., Wilson, R., & Westbrook, J. I. (2014). What is the effect of electronic pathology ordering on test re-ordering patterns for paediatric patients? In H. Grain, F. Martin-Sanchez, & L. K. Schaper (Eds.), Investing in E-Health: People, Knowledge and Technology for a Healthy Future - Selected Papers from the 22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014 (Vol. 204, pp. 74-79). (Studies in Health Technology and Informatics; Vol. 204). IOS Press. https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-427-5-74

Li, Ling ; Georgiou, Andrew ; Vecellio, Elia et al. / What is the effect of electronic pathology ordering on test re-ordering patterns for paediatric patients?. Investing in E-Health: People, Knowledge and Technology for a Healthy Future - Selected Papers from the 22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014. editor / Heather Grain ; Fernando Martin-Sanchez ; Louise K. Schaper. Vol. 204 Amsterdam : IOS Press, 2014. pp. 74-79 (Studies in Health Technology and Informatics).

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title = "What is the effect of electronic pathology ordering on test re-ordering patterns for paediatric patients?",

abstract = "Electronic ordering systems have the potential to enhance the efficient utilisation of pathology services. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of electronic pathology ordering on repeat test ordering for paediatric patients (ages 0 to 18 years) who were in intensive care units (ICUs) and non-ICU wards. The dataset described 85,728 pathology tests ordered for 5,073 children before and after the implementation of electronic ordering. This study showed that, for children in ICUs, the repeat test order rate was significantly lower for electronic orders than for paper-based orders. Similarly, the rate of repeat tests ordered within short intervals (up to 23-hours), for children older than one-year in non-ICU wards, was lower for electronic ordering than for paper ordering. The proportion of repeat tests occurring within one-hour of the previous test was consistently lower for tests ordered using electronic ordering than it was for tests ordered using the paper based system for patients older than one-year in all wards and for patients under one-year in ICUs. These results suggest that features of the electronic system, including alerts about previously ordered tests and the availability of information about previous orders, can help clinicians to identify and reduce unnecessary repeat tests.",

author = "Ling Li and Andrew Georgiou and Elia Vecellio and Alex Eigenstetter and George Toouli and Roger Wilson and Westbrook, {Johanna I.}",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) and Publisher 2014. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.; 22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014 ; Conference date: 11-08-2014 Through 14-08-2014",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.3233/978-1-61499-427-5-74",

language = "English",

volume = "204",

series = "Studies in Health Technology and Informatics",

publisher = "IOS Press",

pages = "74--79",

editor = "Heather Grain and Fernando Martin-Sanchez and Schaper, {Louise K.}",

booktitle = "Investing in E-Health",

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}

Li, L , Georgiou, A, Vecellio, E, Eigenstetter, A, Toouli, G, Wilson, R & Westbrook, JI 2014, What is the effect of electronic pathology ordering on test re-ordering patterns for paediatric patients? in H Grain, F Martin-Sanchez & LK Schaper (eds), Investing in E-Health: People, Knowledge and Technology for a Healthy Future - Selected Papers from the 22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014. vol. 204, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, vol. 204, IOS Press, Amsterdam, pp. 74-79, 22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014, Melbourne, Australia, 11/08/14. https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-427-5-74

What is the effect of electronic pathology ordering on test re-ordering patterns for paediatric patients? / Li, Ling ; Georgiou, Andrew; Vecellio, Elia et al.
Investing in E-Health: People, Knowledge and Technology for a Healthy Future - Selected Papers from the 22nd Australian National Health Informatics Conference, HIC 2014. ed. / Heather Grain; Fernando Martin-Sanchez; Louise K. Schaper. Vol. 204 Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2014. p. 74-79 (Studies in Health Technology and Informatics; Vol. 204).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review