Hou Ying-Hui, Chang I-Chiu, Chen Chi-Fung
Author Affiliations: Department of Health Industry Management, Kainan University, Taoyuan (Dr Hou), Taiwan; Institute of Healthcare Information Management, National Chung Cheng University, Minxiong, Chiayi (Dr Chang), Taiwan; and Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (Ms Chen), Taiwan, Republic of China.
Comput Inform Nurs. 2015 Jan;33(1):37-42. doi: 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000111.
Acupuncture treatment has become increasingly popular worldwide, but it is not without risk to the patient. Most physicians in Taiwan have adopted a computerized physician order entry system for traditional Chinese medicine. Use of such a system can prevent some adverse events related to a paper-based system but increases other unexpected risks. This study is the first to introduce a patient safety-based acupuncture treatment information system that integrates advanced healthcare devices to reduce the risks associated with acupuncture treatment using a computerized physician order entry system for traditional Chinese medicine. The acupuncture treatment information system considerably improved patient safety and increased clinicians' workflow efficiency. The importance-performance analysis indicated that improvement in the vital sign measurement function was of the highest priority. In conclusion, acupuncture treatment--the demand for which is increasing--can be performed more safely using an acupuncture treatment information system.