Abstract

[This article was originally published in Healthcare Quarterly, 16(2)]

Enterprise-level information technology systems deliver significant quality improvements. Regions with low implementation can leverage basic technology to improve quality and safety. The Division of Critical Care Medicine in Edmonton, Alberta, was able to rapidly develop and disseminate a care protocol for ecstasy (MDMA) intoxication prior to a large public event. Using only email and word processors, the protocol was developed based on recent experience at one site. It was approved by divisional members and then used in another hospital in Edmonton for two patients. Debriefing revealed that the availability of the protocol was instrumental in starting appropriate therapy and preventing death.