Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Reporting medication errors through computerized medication administration.

Debra K Low1, Jan V R Belcher

  • 1One Touch Technologies, Aliso Viejo, CA, USA.

Computers, Informatics, Nursing : CIN
|September 28, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Graduate practicums in nursing administration programs: current approaches and recommendations.

The Journal of nursing administration·2012
Same author

Web-delivered research-based nursing staff education for seeking Magnet status.

The Journal of nursing administration·2005
See all related articles

Implementation of a bar code medication administration system increased reported medication errors by 18%. This highlights the need for accurate baseline data when evaluating new health technology and improving medication safety reporting.

Area of Science:

  • Healthcare quality improvement
  • Patient safety research
  • Health informatics

Background:

  • Medication errors are a significant concern, with underreporting being a major issue, especially at the administration stage.
  • Nurses historically report only a small fraction of significant medication errors.
  • Limited research exists on medication error rates specifically during administration and the impact of reporting systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the medication error rate per 1,000 doses administered before and after implementing a bar code medication administration system.
  • To assess the impact of a new technology on medication error reporting accuracy.
  • To identify challenges in evaluating medication error reduction strategies.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study design was employed on two medical-surgical units.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Data on medication errors were collected for 12 months prior to and 12 months after system implementation.
  • The study focused on medication errors occurring during the administration phase.

    • Main Results:

    • The medication error rate per 1,000 doses increased by 18% after the bar code system implementation.
    • This increase is likely due to improved reporting accuracy rather than an actual rise in errors.
    • The computerization of medication administration enhanced the error reporting system.

    Conclusions:

    • New technology implementation requires accurate baseline data for effective evaluation.
    • Computerized systems significantly improve the accuracy of medication error reporting compared to staff reporting.
    • Enhanced reporting accuracy is crucial for developing and refining technologies to reduce medication errors.