It’s official (because I am writing it here). The Leapfrog Group is no longer relevant. Perhaps they never were. We can stop talking about them now.

I just finished reading through their 2006 press releases. Almost all of those press releases are the Leapfrog Group commenting on other organization’s quality initiatives.

The only accomplishment that the Leapfrog Group claims is receiving more surveys than ever before. Like usual, there is no comment on the pace at which the submitters of those surveys are embracing the leaps. It seems like they could have counted up those surveys by now (they were due on June 30). I suspect they know the numbers, but there isn’t anything to brag about.

Where are the corporate sponsors? I thought they were big into accountability?

I believe the Leapfrog Group made a mistake in choosing CPOE as their first leap. There are so many other safety initiatives that produce excellent safety results and are significantly more achievable.

The fact is that the number of hospitals that have implemented CPOE is insignificant. Last year that number was less than 80 (out of nearly 1,000 surveys received). That is pretty dismal for the 4th year. I don’t expect a great increase this year. Ironically, one of my hospitals will be one of the few additions.

And, what has ever happened to the Leapfrog Group/FCG tool to test the clinical alerts in a CPOE system? This was announced in 2001? Is it out there and I just missed it? Or, is the Leapfrog Group 4 years behind schedule?

It really doesn’t matter. Because there are far more important patient safety initiatives (IHI’s 100K lives). And, because nobody is listening. CPOE mania is dying as executives realize that they have better patient safety opportunities that are more proven and don’t disrupt their admitters.

Since Leapfrog launched 5 years ago they have never steered a single patient to a hospital with CPOE (I could only hope). I would bet they never will.

Fin.