[Comparative study of errors in electronic versus manual prescription]

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Patient Safety
• Medication Management

Background:

• Medication errors pose a significant threat to patient safety.
• Electronic prescribing systems are implemented to mitigate these risks.
• Assessing the comparative error rates of electronic versus traditional prescribing is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the incidence of errors in electronic prescribing compared to standard manual prescription.
• To analyze errors across different stages of the medication management process.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, open-label study was conducted in two public hospitals.
• Error rates were assessed for medication, diet, and nursing orders.
• Data were collected across four process stages: prescription, pharmacy validation, nursing transcription, and dispensation.

Main Results:

• Electronic prescribing reduced overall errors from 8.50% to 4.38%, a 48% relative risk reduction.
• Significant decreases were observed in pharmacy transcription, nursing transcription, and dispensation errors.
• A slight, though statistically significant, increase in prescription errors was noted with electronic prescribing (2.10% vs. 2.40%).

Conclusions:

• Electronic prescribing is an effective tool for reducing medication, diet, and nursing care errors.
• Continuous development and maintenance are essential for optimizing the safety and effectiveness of electronic prescribing systems.