PROVIDENCE OREGON – A project to integrate Alaris infusion pumps with Epic is being implemented at most Providence Oregon hospitals over the next several weeks.
The change affects hospital infusion areas in inpatient units; emergency departments; pre-op, post-op and PACU; and outpatient infusion departments – at all hospitals except Providence Portland Medical Center.
Go-live dates
- Aug. 15, west hospitals: Providence Newberg, Providence Seaside, Providence St. Vincent
- Aug. 29, east and south hospitals: Providence Hood River, Providence Medford, Providence Milwaukie, Providence Willamette Falls
Writing infusion orders
If you write orders for infusion, here’s what you need to know about the Alaris-Epic interoperability update:
- Interoperability will not allow discrepancies between ordered dose and programed pump rate. This means that rate changes within nursing orders or medication comments section will not flow to pump and will not be accepted by the program. You’ll need to include rate specifics in the designated fields within the mediation order.
- At this time, interoperability does not support additional bolus from currently running fluids. You will need to place a separate order for bolus medication.
Patient-care benefits
Epic-Alaris interoperability offers a number of benefits to improve patient care:
- Reduces medication errors by prepopulating infusion parameters from the medication order in Epic. This minimizes the chance of manual errors when programming the pump.
- Reports infusion status, rate changes and titrations to Epic in near real-time.
- Simplifies documentation, saving time while improving reliability. This gives clinicians more time with patients.
Learn more
For more information, please talk to the operational lead for your area or the medication subcommittee.
