Do Admission Order Sets Improve DVT Prophylaxis Rates?

Disease-specific order sets constitute a clinical decision support tool that is gaining popularity in hospitals. Compared with free-text orders, order sets provide prompts to facilitate evidence-based care. The true value of order sets in improving physicians’ adherence to best-care practices and, hence, in improving patient outcomes, still is being established.

In this study, performed at a 750-bed community hospital in Ontario, Canada, researchers examined whether diagnosis-specific order sets affected use of prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Randomly selected medical admissions during four time periods were reviewed. Baseline (period 1) was prior to order-set implementation (October–November 2003); traditional free-text handwr…