Utilizing electronic health record data to determine the health of the medication process after the relocation of a children's hospital.

UNLABELLED

Hospital relocation is a highly complex undertaking, which has the potential to interrupt operations and poses risks for patients, staff, and providers. Little is known how hospital relocation impacts on workflow and communication.

METHODS

Using existing Electronic Health Record (EHR) data we determined time from medication ordering to first dose administration as a proxy for well-being of the medication process during a five months window surrounding the relocation of a 205-bed children's hospital.

RESULTS

Overall performance of the medication process has declined slightly. We identified regional (unit) differences with the pediatric intensive care unit, which had the most significant changes to its workflow, experiencing a more than doubling of the time from ordering to medication administration. Overall, there was no significant difference in time-sensitive medication administration times. Evaluating the medication ordering-dispensing-administration process through readily available EHR data demonstrated that the impact of a hospital' s relocation on workflow and communication can be successfully monitored.