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Table 2 Comments and proposed resolutions

From: Pilot-testing an adverse drug event reporting form prior to its implementation in an electronic health record

Data field

Comments

Proposed solution

A. Select suspect drug(s)

None

NA

B. Suspect drug(s)

“Date of last dispense” is irrelevant

Difficult to capture order of prescribing

Difficult to enter complex dosage regimes

Remove the “date of last dispense” field

Increase the amount of free-text entry

Remove one data entry box for drugs (to autopopulate in electronic form)

C. What type of ADE do you suspect?

Checkboxes preferred over drop-down menus

Provide the option to describe “other”

Use check boxes instead of drop-down menus

Modify the free-text option

D. Are there symptoms, or laboratory tests that you suspect are an ADE manifestation?

Provide space to list vital signs

Add option to add vitals in the “laboratory data” section

E. Treatment recommended or administered

Need to be able to input start and stop time of the changes

Add a “start” and “stop” date data input

F. Add new medications

Name of field is confusing

Unsure about which medications to list

Change the name of the box to clarify the instructions

G. Causality and outcome

Pharmacists often don’t know the patient’s outcome

Pharmacists would like to pass the form to another care provider for completion (e.g., GP)

Provide option for other care provider(s) to complete symptom resolution and outcome reporting.

Requires linkage to MD electronic data entry

H. Report submission

Improve clarity of instructions for inpatient reporting

Pharmacists are hesitant to report without a definite diagnosis, especially if their identification is attached to the report

Simplify reporting options

Add option to remove or modify existing report(s)

Educate pharmacists that the form is primarily to improve documentation and communication between care providers, rather than to report

Change name of form to “documentation and communication” to clarify intent

I. Follow-up items

Field is unnecessary

Remove free-text boxes

  1. NA not applicable, MD physician