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The EPIC Challenge of Optimizing Antimicrobial Stewardship: the Role of Electronic Medical Records and Technology.
Clin Infect Dis. 2013 May 10;
Authors: Kullar R, Goff DA, Schulz LT, Fox BC, Rose WE
Abstract
Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are established means for institutions to improve patient outcomes, while reducing the emergence of resistant bacteria. With the increased adoption and evolution of electronic medical records (EMRs) there is a need to assimilate the tools of ASPs into EMRs, using decision support and feedback. Third party software vendors provide the mainstay for integration of individual institutional EMR and ASP efforts. Epic is the leading implementer of EMR technology in the United States. A collaboration of physicians and pharmacists are working closely with Epic to provide a more comprehensive platform of ASP tools that may be institutionally individualized. We review the historical relationship between ASPs and the EMR, cite examples of Epic stewardship tools from three academic medical centers' ASPs, discuss limitations of these Epic tools, and conclude with the current process in evolution to integrate ASP tools and decision support capacities directly into Epic's EMR.
PMID: 23667260 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]