Johns Hopkins Saves Over $1 Million Using CPOE

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Johns Hopkins saved more than $1.25 million just adjusting their CPOE and reducing unnecessary blood testing.

Health It Outcomes previously reported that, despite previous beliefs, CPOE has served hospitals well and saved them money over time.  Many providers believed that CPOE was an expensive investment and doubted its worth as an addition to their EMR.

To the contrary, CPOE has been found to reduce costs for providers over and significantly reduce errors. In one study, it was found to cut medication errors by 48 percent, preventing 17.4 million errors in one year.

Now, Johns Hopkins is using CPOE to reduce costs by cutting unnecessary blood testing. According to Health Data Management, Johns Hopkins’ new CPOE guidelines call for a more limited use of cardiac blood testing.

“Part of the focus was on tests to assess levels of troponin, a protein whose components increase in the blood when heart muscle is damaged. Frequently, troponin tests are repeated four or more times in a 24-hour period, which studies have suggested is excessive, and they are often done along with tests for other biomarkers that are redundant,” explains Health Data Management.

“The new guidelines suggest ordering troponin alone, without creatine kinase or creatine kinase-MB, for patients suspected to have acute coronary syndrome. It specifies that troponin should be assessed no more than three times over 18 to 24 hours.”

Just by changing the parameters for the CPOE, Johns Hopkins has saved over $1.25 million in laboratory charges. In the first year after implementation, doctors’ use of the new guidelines increased from 57.1 percent to 95.5 percent. This adherence led to a 66 percent decrease in the number of tests ordered.