eRecord: A New Way of Working
At UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, patient chart racks and clipboards are things of the past. Since the electronic medical record (EMR) system was implemented here in 2002, each child's full history, from radiology images to medications, has been stored electronically.
This innovative way of working, which we call the eRecord, has drastically reduced medical errors and streamlined processes, making us more efficient, and making our patients safer.
Learn more about how eRecord works.
An Early Adopter of EMR
Children's Hospital began working toward a paperless hospital long before the opening of our new hospital. In 2002, Children’s was one of the first pediatric hospitals to implement a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system. CPOE removed written orders from the medication ordering system and delivery process, creating a unified medication record.
By the time the new hospital opened in 2009, the staff was already used to working in a paperless environment. Every corner of the hospital, from the Emergency Department to operating rooms, already ran on a single, integrated eRecord.
Building the new hospital was an opportunity to expand on that early success. A campus-wide wireless data network with 2,000 wireless access points enables access to electronic health records, prescription writing, and other clinical and non-clinical applications.
Our planning and forward thinking paid off. In 2009, Children's became the first pediatric hospital in the United States to achieve a Stage 7 Award from HIMSS Analytics for achieving a virtually paperless patient record environment and the most comprehensive use of electronic medical records (EMR).
Putting Patients First
By focusing on our patients first, we have achieved not only national recognition, but real results in patient safety. Since eRecord has been in place, Children’s has reduced serious medication errors by 92 percent. And from 2003 to 2009, there was a 60 percent decrease in medication safety events.
Learn more about how Children’s puts patient safety first.
