University of South Alabama Health System Collaborates with Stoltenberg Consulting to Implement More than 49 Order Sets in Seven Months

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoltenberg Consulting, Inc., a leading healthcare information technology consulting firm, today announced the availability of a case study highlighting the successful implementation of electronic order sets at the University of South Alabama (USA) Health System. This implementation helped increase efficiency of care at USA by giving physicians quicker access to medication, ancillary and patient care orders, reducing time spent on faxes and use of additional resources.

"Order sets were the primary mechanism available for getting physicians involved in CPOE and making headway on meaningful use," said Tracy Clay, Project Manager, Soarian Clinicals, and Coordinator, Clinical Systems, Health System Information Services, USA, who spearheaded their order set implementation. "With Stoltenberg, we quickly converted order sets from paper to electronic formats, eliminating a significant amount of trial and error while moving toward an evidence-based standard of care."

The case study highlights the process and key findings from the implementation project. Stoltenberg consultants assisted the 406-bed Mobile, Ala.-based hospital with the implementation of 49 computerized physician order entry (CPOE) order sets over a period of seven months.

Clay continued: "We knew [Stoltenberg] had the meaningful use and order set implementation resources to get USA over some difficult obstacles in order set design, conversion and implementation. They provided dedicated resources with top experience in our areas of greatest need, including meaningful use." 

Based on best practices from this project, USA IT team members and Stoltenberg consultants offer this advice to hospitals working to expand and refine their use of order set solutions' design, testing and training:

• Prepare for disruptions, including vendor staff turnover.
• Map the workflow process of order entry in all areas in advance via flow chart.
• Develop a plan for the development, testing and implementation of orders and order sets.
• Use an interdisciplinary committee to ensure there is a match between a paper-based order set and prevailing practice. 
• Begin with order sets that are already on paper and in use.
• Review orders in order sets for clarity and the ability to translate into electronic orders before building the order set.
• Use physicians to conduct a review of paper order sets, followed by verification from nurses and ancillaries.
• Confer with consultants to provide insight and best practices regarding order set review, building and testing.
• Use clinicians such as nurses to serve as advisors to the IT department.
• Engage in classroom hands-on teaching to supplement online training.

The case study is available for download at www.stoltenberg.com. Visit the website and watch Stoltenberg's 3-minute informational movie at www.stoltenberg.com/movie.

About Stoltenberg Consulting
Founded in 1995, Pittsburgh-based Stoltenberg Consulting Inc. creates an environment for success by working with healthcare organizations to provide a variety of services including project management, implementation support and integration between systems. Members of the Stoltenberg Consulting team are consultants with extensive experience in both financial and clinical systems, averaging more than 15 years of direct on-site hospital experience. Stoltenberg Consulting has grown rapidly to serve a client base of more than 200 preeminent healthcare organizations throughout the United States providing services for Siemens (Approved Partner), Epic (Preferred Partner), Cerner, McKesson, Meditech, NextGen, Allscripts and Zynx customers. For more information call 1-888-724-1326 or visit www.stoltenberg.com.

Media Contact:
Emma Ludwin
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SOURCE Stoltenberg Consulting, Inc.