Standard admission order sets promote ordering of unnecessary investigations: a quasi-randomised evaluation in a simulated setting.
Although standard admission order sets can enhance safety, they may lead to overtesting and overtreatment. In this simulation study, researchers found that when admission orders included the option of a nonindicated laboratory test, medical trainees and attending physicians were more likely to order those tests for a cardiac patient. A previous WebM&M commentary highlighted limits and pitfalls of order sets.