Insulin Prescription Charts at a University Hospital: High Variability of Design Characteristics

Background Diabetes mellitus exists in approximately 10% of hospitalized patients and hyperglycemia arises in 32 to 38% of patients in community hospitals [1-3]. Hyperglycemia is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and hospital costs, regardless of whether a hospitalized patient has a known history of diabetes or not [1,4]. Insulin has frequently been reported to be in the list of top 10 high alert medicines worldwide. The subcutaneous insulin prescribing chart provides a common tool for consistent communication, documentation, interpretation and administration of insulin orders. Evidence indicates that outcomes and safety can be compromised when significant variations in patient care exist [5]. Our objective was to evaluate the quality of design characteristics of subcutaneous insulin prescription charts at a University Hospital.