Perceived Increase in Mortality After Process and Policy Changes Implemented With Computerized Physician Order Entry

Abstract
To the Editor .— We read the article by Han et al1 with great interest. The authors of this study concluded that the implementation of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) in a pediatric critical care unit was associated with an unanticipated increase in mortality in children admitted via interfacility transport over a 5-month period. Although we acknowledge a growing concern that information technology that was intended to improve clinical care may actually facilitate certain types of errors,2,3 we are concerned that the authors' conclusion is not justified by their data. The authors describe several critical policy changes that were implemented concurrently with CPOE, …