Reporting

This could be a long section indeed, if all reports required were to be listed. What I have tried to do is list some examples which must be available. Essentially what is required is a report generator which will provide easy access to the wealth of data that will be available from either the prescribing system &or clinical repository. I would hope certain, if not all aspects of this will be java based. This being the case I would then envisage Pharmacy providing reports on a Trust's intranet for access by interested parties. With the proposed HTPP printing these will become that much easier.

What follows must be viewed as an absolute minimum requirement of any system but you would certainly expect more these days.

System requirements

1. Suppliers must state where the reporting functionality will be placed e.g. either as an integral part of the prescribing system or part of the core Pharmacy system to which it will be interfaced. Alternatively it may well be stand alone.
2. There must be a facility to custom build reports (e.g. drug usage) from the Erx system
3. The system must have the facility to print patient medication histories in the following formats:

• By patient name or number
• By team
• Complete
• Present admission
• Selected dates

4. A patient medication record report must include:

• Details of all medications administered
• Dates of administration
• Date started/stopped
• Consultant team(s)
• Missed doses
• Patient status - i.e. admission/in-patient/outpatient/Discharge drugs/A&E/Day case
• Relevant drug information e.g. reason for stopping drugs, use of non formulary drugs
• Protocol (e.g. in chemotherapy or TPN), to include indication for use, cycle number, usage.

6. The system must provide full costing data per patient at any given point in time.
7. The system must allow reporting by drug to see which individual patients have received a particular drug. The report must be definable in terms of

• Date
• Team
• Formulary status

8. The system must allow reporting by protocol (e.g. chemotherapy). The report must be definable in terms of

• Protocol
• Date
• Team
• Patient (name or number)
• Indication
• Usage
• Diagnosis
• Ward/department

9. The system must be able to produce a report detailing missed doses:

• By ward
• By team within a ward
• By date
• By patient
• By reason for omission

10. The system must be able to report on non-formulary drug use by

• Team
• Date
• Speciality
• Prescriber

11. The system must be able to report on times of prescribing by:

• Date
• Team
• Speciality
• Prescriber
• Prescription type

12. The system should be able to report on group protocol usage/standing order usage

Conclusion

This as stated is a very minimal list and the emphasis must be on custom building reports. At the end of the day a flexible and inclusive reporting system will be an essential part of any implementation if the full potetial benefits of an electronic prescribing system are to be realised.

Copyright - Will Willson 1999
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