Utilizing Electronic Health Record Data to Determine the Health of the Medication Process after the Relocation of a Children's Hospital

Hospital relocation is a highly complex undertaking, which has the potential to interrupt operations and poses risks for patients, staff, and providers. Little is known how hospital relocation impacts on workflow and communication. Methods: Using existing Electronic Health Record (EHR) data we determined time from medication ordering to first dose administration as a proxy for well-being of the medication process during a five months window surrounding the relocation of a 205-bed children’s hospital. Results: Overall performance of the medication process has declined slightly. We identified regional (unit) differences with the pediatric intensive care unit, which had the most significant changes to its workflow, experiencing a more than doubling of the time from ordering to medication administration. Overall, there was no significant difference in time-sensitive medication administration times. Evaluating the medication ordering-dispensing-administration process through readily available EHR data demonstrated that the impact of a hospital’s relocation on workflow and communication can be successfully monitored.