Variation in high-priority drug-drug interaction alerts across institutions and electronic health records.

Objective: The United States Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology sponsored the development of a "high-priority" list of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) to be used for clinical decision support. We assessed current adoption of this list and current alerting practice for these DDIs with regard to alert implementation (presence or absence of an alert) and display (alert appearance as interruptive or passive).

Materials And Methods: We conducted evaluations of electronic health records (EHRs) at a convenience sample of health care organizations across the United States using a standardized testing protocol with simulated orders.

Development and field testing of a self-assessment guide for computer-based provider order entry.

Despite the benefits of computerized provider order entry (CPOE), numerous reports of unexpected CPOE-related safety concerns have surfaced. As part of a larger project to improve the safety of electronic health records (EHRs), we developed and field tested a CPOE "safety self-assessment" guide through literature searches, expert opinion, and site visits. We then conducted a field test of this guide with nine hospital chief medical informatics officers (CMIOs), who were identified through the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems.

Bone cyst of a fishy origin: from an old catfish spine puncture wound to the foot.

A rare first metatarsal unicameral-type bone cyst with a deceptive radiographic appearance and size and an unusual pathological etiology was identified in a female patient. This eccentric cyst was observed only postoperatively by radiograph. Review of the patient's history documented a foot injury from a catfish spine as the etiology of this chronically inflamed cyst.