Usability of a Perioperative Medication-Related Clinical Decision Support Application: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinicians complete tasks using the CDS prototype. Briefly, the clinician scans the barcode on the syringe label immediately prior to medication administration. The scan triggers the CDS to display a dosing window with pertinent patient-specific information and/or alert(s) when necessary to prevent a medication error (ME) prior to the medication being administered. Medication data are then sent from the CDS application to the patient's anesthesia record for automatic documentation in real-time, eliminating the need to manually document the medication in the Anesthesia Information Management System (AIMS). When necessary, the CDS application generates alerts to prevent medication errors. Upon receiving an alert, the anesthesia clinician may accept the alert and revise the action that generated the alert, or override the alert and continue with the planned action.

Clinicians complete tasks using the conventional medication administration and documentation workflow in anesthesia.