BMJ  2004;328:1171-1172 (15 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7449.1171

Primary care

Prescribing safety features of general practice computer systems: evaluation using simulated test cases

Bernard Fernando, general practitioner1, Boki S P Savelyich, research associate2, Anthony J Avery, professor of primary health care2, Aziz Sheikh, professor of primary care research & development3, Mike Bainbridge, technical director4, Pete Horsfield, clinical director4, Sheila Teasdale, service director4

1 Thames Avenue Surgery, Rainham, Kent, 2 Division of Primary Care, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, 3 Division of Community Health Sciences: GP Section, University of Edinburgh, 4 PRIMIS, University of Nottingham

Correspondence to: Anthony J Avery tony.avery@nottingham.ac.uk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

Over 90% of general practices in the United Kingdom regularly use computers for clinical care.1 These computing systems contain drug interaction alerts, and these are considered useful by most general practitioners.2 Relatively little attention, however, has been paid to other potential safety features for prescribing, such as contraindication alerts. The NHS Information Authority has regulated use of general practice computer systems through a set of rules known as requirements for accreditation, but these contain only general references to safety and there is evidence that they do not prevent contraindicated prescribing.3

Reducing the risks of iatrogenic harm is an important issue for the NHS, and interest has focused on safer prescribing in primary care.4 We undertook a laboratory based evaluation of safety features for prescribing of the four main computing systems used in UK primary care.5

Method and results

We used a two round Delphi approach to reach agreement on the most important safety . . . [Full text of this article]

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