HLT-494 Change Proposal: Implementing Technology to Reduce Errors

This report reviews a change proposal focused on reducing medication errors in a healthcare setting through the implementation of information technology. The proposal emphasizes the use of a logic model to illustrate the functioning units needed for error prevention, with a primary goal of investigating technologies that can improve existing healthcare systems. It highlights the importance of staff training in new technologies like Bar Coded Data entry, telemedicine software, Electronic Health Records (EHR), CPOE, CDSS, Radiofrequency Identification, and Wireless Sensor Networks. The report discusses the benefits of Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) systems, clinical decision support systems (CDSS), and barcode technology in minimizing errors and improving communication among stakeholders. The dissemination plan involves initial implementation in a local private hospital, followed by feedback collection and refinement. The expected outcomes include enhanced technical knowledge among employees, reduced medical errors, improved patient safety, and cost savings for healthcare organizations. The document is contributed by a student and available on Desklib, a platform offering study tools and resources.

Running Head: Review of Change Proposal
Assignment
Review of Change Proposal
<Student Name>
Grand Canyon University: <Course>
<Date>
Submitted to:

Review of Change Proposal 2
Review of Change Proposal
The logic model
The logic model shows the functioning units needed to prevent the medication errors with
the help of information technology. The initial goal of this project is to investigate the
technology that can help change the existing system of a healthcare organization to reduce the
medical errors. The dissemination of the proposal will be possible by educating the staff of the
organization about the new technology. The short-term and medium-term goals of the project
eventually will lead to achieve the long term goal which is prevention of medical errors.
The training of the staff is necessary for implementing the technology successfully and to
achieve maximum reduction of medical errors. The technical issues and incompatibility of the
new system makes it difficult to work on for normal clinicians (Ahmadian, Dorosti, Khajouei, &
Gohari, 2017). Moreover, many employees lack the interest, knowledge and skills to work on the
new system. Most of the staff has shortage of time and negative attitude to learn the new system
under existing clinical work pressure. These factors make the system difficult to be imbibed in
routine care delivery.
The training can be given about the Bar Coded Data entry, usage of tele medicine
software, maintaining the Electronic Health Record (EHR) software, CPOE, CDSS,
Radiofrequency Identification, and Wireless Sensor Network. During the implementation of the
system the communication with the stakeholders is important to be maintained. There are two
goals of the logic model. The first goal is to enhance the technical knowledge among the
employees and the stakeholders and to reduce the medical errors in the hospital to the maximum

Review of Change Proposal 3
extent. The second goal is about the effective use of technology to achieve the positive
outcomes.
The Change Proposal
Medication errors may occur throughout the medication system like while writing the
prescription, while entering the drug information in the computer, while dispensing the drug or
while the medications are being taken up by the patient (US Food & Drug Administration
[FDA], 2018). Recent times has observed an increase in medication errors. Apart from that,
there is unpredictability in the cost of the medicines. All these factors make the patients
suspicious about the entire health care system (Radley et al., 2013). In order to improve the
entire system there is a need for implementation of new technology. Effective implementation
requires adequate funding resources as well.
Initiation Model
In this regard, Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) system helps the physicians to
do electronic entry of all the patient services. It prevents the need of writing orders on paper and
results into efficient system with cost savings. CPOE systems effectively reduce the adverse drug
events and medical errors when they are coupled with clinical decision support systems. The
system automatically warns the clinicians about the medical errors (Charles, Cannon, Hall &
Coustasse, 2014).
Another technology ‘Bar Code’ implementation can also significantly minimize the errors.
However, these measures are not adequate for the proper health care management. There should

Review of Change Proposal 4
be fair deal of communication between different stakeholders involved in the system. With
proper communication, the medication errors can be reduced by 54% (Kachalia & Bates,
2014). The communication is needed to be done before and after the implementation of the
systems in the organizations. Additionally the technology like Clinical Decision Support System
(CDSS), Administration of Barcode Medication, Radiofrequency Identification, Wireless Sensor
Network, and Electronic Health Records will significantly improve the existing healthcare
system. CDSS software offers evidence based standards, protocols and recommendations for safe
healthcare practice.
Dissemination plan
The project will be disseminated in a local private hospital initially and the feedback of the
clinicians and patients will be taken as an opportunity to further refine the implementation for a
minimum trial period of 2-6 months.
The change in the system through the implementation of the project will affect the flow of
information both internally and externally. CPOE will mechanize the process of drug
prescription, imparting accurate instructions. It will help the clinicians in producing accurate lab
outcomes, recommending correct dosage, alerting the allergies. The evidences from literature
review show that CPOE has been immensely effective in different roles in various healthcare
organizations which involves: reducing the diagnostic tests, sorting the lab tests, reducing the
average stay of patient in ICU, identifying the prescribers at every stage, cutting down the
inpatient costs up to 12.7%, and helping the physicians in delivering right treatment
opportunities (Ehteshami, Rezaei, Tavakoli & Kasaei, 2013).

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Evidences show that CDSS has proven records for reducing the total medical errors by
83% (Ehteshami et al., 2013).
The implementation of technology will facilitate distribution of the right drugs at right
place. This will bring down the fatal effects of wrong drugs (Keers et al., 2013). The overall
patient safety will improve.
From the discussion the benefits of using technology in the medication system it can be said that
both the health care organizations and patients will benefit by the implementation of the system.
After the implementation of the system in a proper way, the benefit can be achieved in form of
reduced medical errors in the Hospital.
References
Ahmadian, L., Dorosti, N., Khajouei, R., & Gohari, S. H. (2017). Challenges of using
Hospital Information Systems by nurses: comparing academic and non-
academic hospitals. Electronic physician, 9(6), 4625-4630. doi:10.19082/4625
Charles, K., Cannon, M., Hall, R., & Coustasse, A. (2014). Can utilizing a computerized
provider order entry (CPOE) system prevent hospital medical errors and adverse
drug events?. Perspectives in health information management, 11(Fall), 1b.
Ehteshami,A., Rezaei,P., Tavakoli,N., & Kasaei,M.(2013). The role of health information
technology in reducing preventable medical errors and improving patient safety.
1(4), 195-199, DOI: 10.4103/2347-9019.130378

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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 computerized provider order entry systems. Journal of the American
Medical Informatics Association, 20(3), 470-476.doi.org/10.1136/amiajnl-2012-
001241
US Food & Drug Administration (2018). Working to reduce Medication Errors. Retrieved
from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm143553.htm
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