Error potential of Intrahealth Profile EMR’s Usual Scripts functionality
Profile EMR users who use the Scripts module may incorrectly assume that the system is automatically updating a client’s Usual Scripts list when a change is made to one of those medications in the process of prescribing it. Refer to Figures 1 and 2 below:
Figure 1: Incorrect method of updating a usual script medication
Figure 2:
If the usual script is altered after it has been dragged to the Current Order window (as in Figure 1 and 2 above) the change will not be automatically saved back to the Usual Scripts list. The reasoning for this behaviour is that the prescriber may wish to make changes to the prescription that only apply to this one time that it is prescribed, and may not want it to affect the Usual Scripts list.
If the prescriber does wish to save this change to the Usual Scripts list, they can right-click the item after it has been changed in the Current Order window and select < Usual from the menu (shown in Figure 3).
Figure 3:
An alternative method to modifying a usual script is to edit it while it is still in the Usual Scripts tab. Right-click the usual script that needs to be altered and select Edit to open the Edit Instruction Line window (Figures 4 and 5).
Figure 4:
Figure 5: This time, clicking OK automatically updates the Usual Scripts tab.
Because of the potential for confusion, our EMR team has contacted the vendor, Intrahealth, to ask that a macro be created which will generate a pop-up warning anytime a usual script gets edited after it has been dragged into the current order window which will say:
Reminder: This change will NOT be saved in Usual Scripts tab. Please update the Usual Scripts tab separately if required.