Case Report
Activity Diagrams for Integrating Electronic Prescribing Tools into Clinical Workflow
- Affiliations of the authors: Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Correspondence and reprints: Kevin B. Johnson, MD, MS, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Eskind Biomedical Library, Room 402, 2209 Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN 37232-8340; e-mail: <kevin.johnson{at}vanderbilt.edu>
- Received 2 November 2005
- Accepted 24 March 2006
Abstract
To facilitate the future implementation of an electronic prescribing system, this case study modeled prescription management processes in various primary care settings. The Vanderbilt e-prescribing design team conducted initial interviews with clinic managers, physicians and nurses, and then represented the sequences of steps carried out to complete prescriptions in activity diagrams. The diagrams covered outpatient prescribing for patients during a clinic visit and between clinic visits. Practice size, practice setting, and practice specialty type influenced the prescribing processes used. The model developed may be useful to others engaged in building or tailoring an e-prescribing system to meet the specific workflows of various clinic settings.
Footnotes
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The authors appreciate the assistance of Dr. Jack Starmer and Dr. Randolph Miller in the preparation of this manuscript.
