Early adopters of computerized physician order entry in hospitals that care for children: a picture of US health care shortly after the Institute of Medicine reports on quality.

OBJECTIVE

To determine national estimates of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) use for 2003 in hospitals that care for children.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort analysis.

RESULTS

Six percent of the hospitals used CPOE (119 out of 2145). Children's hospitals are more likely to use CPOE than a children's unit (odds ratio [OR] = 6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5-23.9). Private for-profit hospitals are more likely to use CPOE than public hospitals (OR = 26.5; 95% CI = 3.1-224.8). Urban teaching hospitals are more likely to use CPOE than rural hospitals (OR = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.7-8.8). Hospitals in the Northeast, Midwest, and South are more likely to use CPOE than hospitals in the West (OR = 11.2, 95% CI = 4.8-26.5; OR = 4.2, 95% CI = 1.7-10.5; OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.5-6.3, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In 2003, 6% of the hospitals that care for children reported using CPOE. Early adoption of CPOE was associated with children's hospitals, private hospitals, urban-teaching hospitals, and hospitals outside of the western region.