A recent study examined the impact on compliance and surgical site infections (SSI) of introducing interactive prompts for antibiotic administration into an electronic anesthesia information management system. Based on this study, which of the following is MOST likely true?
Anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) are rapidly being incorporated into routine practice, encouraged in part by financial incentives. Tangible, substantial benefits from these programs, however, have not yet been demonstrated in terms of patient care. Administration of antibiotics within one hour before surgical skin incision is a core indicator of the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP 1) and is linked to reimbursement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Recently, a multicenter health care network sought to determine the effects of electronically embedded point-of-care electronic prompts (POCEP) within an AIMS to administer antibiotics. The anesthesia group within this hospital system had been assigned responsibility for compliance with antibiotic administration guidelines,...
