Saving Lives, Saving Money: The Imperative for Computerized Physician Order Entry in Massachusetts Hospitals, The Clinical Baseline & Financial Impact Study

February 2008 This study was conducted by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the New England Healthcare Institute to determine the overall occurrence of adverse drug events and compare the related costs. The study found that the average baseline adverse drug event rate was approximately 10.4% at the six Massachusetts community hospitals it examined. The report estimates that computerized physician order entry systems could help prevent 55,000 medication errors in the state and provide an annual cost savings of $170 million statewide . . .