Pharmacists' Perceptions of Medication-Related Clinical Decision Support Alerts in an Electronic Health Record System.

BACKGROUND: The Clinical & Systems Transformation project implemented the Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) electronic health record system across 3 health organizations in British Columbia. Medication-related clinical decision support (CDS) alerts in such systems are intended to assist pharmacists during order verification but may contribute to alert fatigue. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate hospital pharmacists' perceptions of standard and custom CDS alerts within the pharmacist verification application of the new system, including their views on alert content, alert volume, and improvement opportunities. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in late 2023 at the 3 health organizations, targeting pharmacists with at least 6 months of experience using the system. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative responses were grouped into common themes. RESULTS: A total of 47 responses were suitable for analysis. The majority of respondents rated CDS alert content positively. However, perceptions about the volume of alerts and overall alert satisfaction were primarily neutral. Certain custom alerts, such as those for low renal function, were rated as having high impact but were infrequently encountered. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need for ongoing optimization of CDS alerts to better support pharmacists through reduction of unnecessary alerts and improved implementation of high-impact alerts.