Medication errors leading to fatal outcomes among patient pool account for the third largest death toll among US population. Learn how information technology systems can help reduce medication errors and save healthcare costs.
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Running head: CHANGE PROPOSAL Ashley Ballesteros 1/21/2019 Grand Canyon University Ashley Hartman HLT-494-O101 Change Proposal
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1CHANGE PROPOSAL Change Proposal Medication errors leading to fatal outcomes among patient pool account for the third largest death toll among US population. Medication errors due to adverse drug effects are the mostcommon,occurringatarateof6.5per100hospitaladmissions(Kachalia& Bates,2014). These include errors in drug prescription, transcription, dispensing as well as drug administration. A substantial amount of evidence shows that the medication errors are highly reported due to prescription and administration of drugs (Kachalia & Bates, 2014). These medication errors lead to irreversible fatal outcomes and cause high costs on both patient and hospital organizations. Prevention of medication errors has therefore become a significant priority; mounting evidence suggests the use of information technology system as a strategy to reduce medication errors as well as save health costs. Information technology system The complex process of clinical decision making in health care is dependent on the human ability to provide patient specific attention and thereafter recollect and synthesize new information based on knowledge. These are highly error prone areas; here comes information technologysystemwhichimprovestheaccesstoinformation,provideappropriate organization identifying the links in between. Clinicians have the information; however they make errors when they forget to recollect during prescribing drugs. Information technology systems provide benefit in bridging this gap between knowledge and putting it together during prescription (Zhanget al., 2013). This computerized system enables the clinicians in accurate decision making through making availability of all necessary relevant information. Information technology in medication Prescriptionerrorsareeliminatedthroughcomputerizedphysicianorderentry (CPOE) involving patient specific decision support promoting patient safety (Kachalia &
2CHANGE PROPOSAL Bates,2014). Computerized system enables checking for problems related to drug interactions and drug dosage compositions; it also updates the prescriber’s knowledge about the latest drug information (Radleyet al., 2013). Drug dispensing errors being common in hospitals, the automated dispensing cabinets and dispensing robots are effective in reducing dispensing errorsthroughbarcodesinpackaginganddispensingandrecognizingappropriate medications. Bar code implementation has resulted in considerable error rate minimization. Bar coded medication administration is efficient and alerts the nurse about any mismatch in drug dosage at the time of administration. Bar-coded system causes the bedside nurse to scan the patient identity bracelet and then administer the drug dosage (Keerset al., 2013). This bar-coded system of drug administration follows the right patient, right drug, right dosage, right route and right time; this reportedly reduced medication errors by 54%. Expected outcomes With the aid of information technology systems in health care, the medication errors due to prescription, transcription, dispensing and administration of drugs would be reduced to a significantly appreciable rate. Computerized system would improve medication knowledge of the prescribers and other clinicians. This would improve patient safety and patient outcomes (Zhanget al., 2013). Fatal outcomes due to adverse drug effects would be highly reduced.Incorrectdrugadministrationposescostburdenonpatientandhospital organizations; which can be eliminated, in other words, the information technology system would save health care costs on hospital organizations.
3CHANGE PROPOSAL References Kachalia, A., & Bates, D. W. (2014). Disclosing medical errors: the view from the USA.The Surgeon,12(2), 64-67.doi.org/10.1016/j.surge.2013.12.002 Keers, R. N., Williams, S. D., Cooke, J., & Ashcroft, D. M. (2013). Causes of medication administration errors in hospitals: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence.Drug safety,36(11), 1045-1067. DOI 10.1007/s40264-013-0090-2 Radley, D. C., Wasserman, M. R., Olsho, L. E., Shoemaker, S. J., Spranca, M. D., & Bradshaw, B. (2013). Reduction in medication errors in hospitals due to adoption of computerizedproviderorderentrysystems.JournaloftheAmericanMedical Informatics Association,20(3), 470-476.doi.org/10.1136/amiajnl-2012-001241 Zhang, N. J., Seblega, B., Wan, T., Unruh, L., Agiro, A., & Miao, L. (2013). Health information technology adoption in US acute care hospitals.Journal of medical systems,37(2), 9907.doi.org/10.1007/s10916-012-9907-2