THE USE OF AN ENTERAL EXPERT-SYSTEM IN THE PRESCRIPTION OF ENTERAL FORMULAS IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

A personal computer-based expert system has been developed for the pre scription of enteral formulas based on patient-need characteristics. T wo hundred twelve inpatients in a university hospital setting were pro spectively evaluated to compare the identity and cost of the enteral f ormula prescribed by the expert system with the identity and cost of t he enteral formula prescribed by the ward team. Two hundred seven pati ents had complete data to allow analysis. There was a mean cost saving s (+/-SD) of $1.18 +/- 7.69/d for each patient using the expert system compared with the MD-prescribed formula (P = 0.023). We project that the use of this program would save $27,564/y in our hospital (an aveng e of 23,360 patient/days of enteral feeding per year). We conclude tha t the use of an expert system can be cost-effective in the prescriptio n of enteral formulas for hospitalized patients. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1997.