Use of a computerized order set to increase prescription of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in patients receiving glucocorticoids.

BACKGROUND

American College of Rheumatology guidelines recommend that patients taking glucocorticoids also take calcium and vitamin D supplements, regardless of the dose or intended duration of glucocorticoid use, to decrease their risk of glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia or osteoporosis (GIOP).

OBJECTIVE

To increase the number of prescriptions made for calcium and vitamin D in patients who receive a prescription for glucocorticoids using an automated, computerized order set.

DESIGN

Pre-post test design.

PATIENTS

A total of 1,041 outpatients receiving care at a single VA medical center. INTERVENTION/MAIN MEASURES: We developed an automated order set in which calcium and vitamin D were automatically co-ordered with glucocorticoid prescriptions of at least 2-week duration. We tested the impact of the order set by comparing the number of calcium and vitamin D prescriptions in patients taking glucocorticoids during a 12-month period before (T1) and after (T2) implementation. The automated order set could be modified by the treating physician, and it was not generated for patients with hypercalcemia.

KEY RESULTS

A total of 535 patients during T1 and 506 patients during T2 had a glucocorticoid prescription of at least 2-week duration. The percent of co-prescriptions for calcium increased from 37 to 49% and vitamin D from 38 to 53% (both p < 0.0001) after the new automated order set was implemented.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of an automatic prescription for calcium and vitamin D supplementation modestly increases the number of patients on glucocorticoids who are prescribed calcium and vitamin D supplementation.