The ISMP Guidelines for Standard Order Sets has been developed to help organizations ensure that the elements of safe order communication have been followed when designing paper-based or electronic order sets. The guidelines focus primarily on medication orders within order sets but also cover general aspects related to the design, approval, and maintenance of all standard order sets. ISMP recommends using this checklist to guide the design and evaluation of standard order sets before granting approval for use.

Well-designed standard order sets—both electronic and paper formats—have the potential to:

Integrate and coordinate care by communicating best practices through multiple disciplines, levels of care, and services
Modify practice through evidence-based care
Reduce variation and unintentional oversight through standardized formatting and clear presentation of orders
Enhance workflow with pertinent instructions that are easily understood, intuitively organized, and suitable for direct application to current information-management systems
Reduce the potential for medication errors through integrated safety alerts and reminders
Reduce unnecessary calls to physicians for clarifications and questions about orders

However, if standard order sets are not carefully designed, reviewed, and maintained to reflect best practices and ensure clear communication, they may actually contribute to errors.

Download the Guidelines

_{How to cite: Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). ISMP Guidelines for Standard Order Sets. ISMP; 2010.}