(
Computerized
Prescriber/
Physician/
Provider
Order
Entry) Entering patient treatment instructions into the computer by the attending physician. In a hospital CPOE system, data are immediately available to nurses and physicians in all departments, greatly reducing the errors and delays associated with handwritten instructions. Electronic systems date back to the 1970s; however, many hospitals and private clinics have yet to computerize treatment instructions. See
EHR,
HIT and
healthcare IT.