UM Plans to Reduce Medical Errors using IBM Technology
The University of Michigan Health System is partnering with IBM Corp. to develop an electronic program to reduce medical errors, Reuters reports. Under the agreement, IBM will provide the infrastructure and technology to implement an electronic database for cataloguing physician's notations regarding laboratory tests, procedures and prescriptions (Reuters, 12/8). In the first stage of implementation, IBM will build a new Web-based infrastructure that will support fast, accurate transmission of medication orders. Meanwhile, UMHS and IBM are creating an enterprise-wide clinical database that incorporates an advanced medical language tool to standardize clinical terminology across the system. CareWeb has been under development at UM since 1997; IBM is now helping to enhance the system with electronic physician order entry. Potential future applications may include consultation management, care and outcome coordination, clinical data records, and patient documentation (University of Michigan/IBM release, 12/8).
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