The following is the summary of “Allergy Electronic Health Record Documentation: A 2022 Work Group Report of the AAAAI Adverse Reactions to Drugs, Biologicals, and Latex Committee” published in the November 2022 issue of Allergy and Clinical Immunology by Guyer, et al.
During regular outpatient visits, emergency room visits, hospital stays, and surgical operations, medical staff should check and update the electronic health record’s (EHR) allergy section. This part of the EHR has the potential to aid in the preventative and all-encompassing avoidance of exposures to drugs, contact irritants, foods, and other agents for which an individual is at increased risk for adverse outcomes based on their medical history and/or genetics. Therefore, the allergy module of an electronic health record (EHR) must provide useful, accurate, fast, and comprehensive allergy information to enable clinical decision-making and clinical decision support.
Although the allergy part of the EHR should meet these criteria to direct proper clinical choices and treatment strategies, present EHR allergy modules do not. Researchers encourage electronic health record (EHR) providers to work with allergists to improve and streamline allergy documentation. A working group formulated recommendations for allergy reporting in the EHR within the Adverse Reactions to Drugs, Biologicals, and Latex Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Even though most adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are not real immune-mediated hypersensitivity reactions, the term “allergy” is used throughout this article to encompass not just true allergic reactions but also hypersensitivities, side effects, and intolerances.
Our top priority is educating users on best practices for recording allergies in electronic health records. This document proposes developing, disseminating and implementing a drug allergy labeling system that could lead to more precise EHR documentation and, in turn, improved patient safety. This guidance includes clarification of the definition of specific ADR types, reconciliation of confirmed ADRs, and removal of disproved or erroneous ADRs.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221321982200825X
