SPOTLIGHT: Physicians 'never go back' if CPOE properly implemented

The Leapfrog Group de-emphasized computerized physician order entry last year after realizing that so many hospitals have struggled to implement the technology. But now that it looks like CPOE will be an integral part of "meaningful use" of health IT, it's back on the group's agenda. CPOE certainly is complex to implement and it takes a while for physicians to get comfortable using it, but if it's done right, doctors will embrace it, according to Leapfrog Group CEO Leah Binder. "The CPOE system may take a little longer at first, and physicians are under a lot of pressure to be more productive," Binder said in a recent interview. But, she added, "I've heard that once the CPOE system is integrated and physicians are using it, they never go back."