Rule-Based Drug Prescribing Review Incorporating Patient Characteristics

This paper describes a rule-based software system for Drug Prescribing Review (DPR) which considers patient characteristics as well as concomitant therapy and prescription parameters. Its purpose is to screen drug orders to determine if potential problems exist. This DPR system evaluates the drug or...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings - Symposium on Computer Application in Medical Care 1980-11, Vol.2, p.957-961
Main Authors: Speedie, Stuart M., Knapp, David A., Palumbo, Francis B., Beardsley, Robert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Drug Studies—Information and Utilization
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Summary:This paper describes a rule-based software system for Drug Prescribing Review (DPR) which considers patient characteristics as well as concomitant therapy and prescription parameters. Its purpose is to screen drug orders to determine if potential problems exist. This DPR system evaluates the drug orders parameters in terms of the patient's diagnoses, age, sex, laboratory test values and concurrent drug therapy. The DPR criteria are formulated as a rule-based inference system. The system is a three level hierarchy of testable assertions, rules and screens. Each screen corresponds to a misjudgment that can occur in the process of prescribing drug therapy. This DPR system is currently implemented in a 3 year study of drug use in long term care facilities as one of several factors intended to influence physician prescribing. A principle outcome of this study in 1983 will be an evaluation of the effectiveness of rule-based, computerized DPR in influencing the physician's prescribing behavior in long term care facilities.
ISSN:0195-4210