Incorporating data analysis from their institution’s electronic health records (EHRs), researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center developed a clinical decision support (CDS) system that helped improve perioperative outcomes for patients who experience postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), according to a poster presentation.
John Shin, MD, an anesthesiologist at UCLA Medical Center, and his colleagues found that a decision analysis support system based on EHR data allowed for a better patient-specific feedback reporting system. The system, which uses data from the center’s own EHR, empowered providers to improve perioperative management of PONV by providing intraoperative real-time guidance for high-risk patients.
The research, presented at the Young Investigators showcase at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017 (abstract YI01-8), showed that use of the system led to a relative reduction in PONV of 16.1% (95% CI, 12.2%-20%; P<0.001) in all patients and a reduction of 19.7% (95% CI, 15.6%-30.1%; P<0.001) in high-risk patients with three or more Apfel risk factors. In the post-intervention period, a reduction of 10.2 minutes (95% CI, 6.32-14.05; P<0.001) was reported in length of time in the PACU in high-risk inpatient cases.