Comparing portable computers with bedside computers when administering medications using bedside medication...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Patient Safety
• Health Information Technology

Background:

• Effective medication administration is crucial for patient safety in critical care settings.
• Bedside medication verification aims to reduce errors during medication administration.
• The implementation of technology, such as computers, can impact medication administration processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the impact of portable computers versus permanent bedside computers on medication administration in adult critical care units.
• To evaluate differences in near-miss errors, medication administration time, and nurse perceptions between the two computer types.
• To assess the effect of computer type on medication scanning rates and technology availability.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study was conducted in two adult critical care units.
• Bedside medication verification was implemented using both portable and permanent bedside computers.
• Data collected included near-miss errors, medication administration times, nurse perceptions, and medication scanning percentages.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in near-miss errors, medication administration time, or nurse perceptions of ease of use, patient care, or technology reliability.
• The percentage of medications scanned was significantly higher when using permanent bedside computers.
• Nurses using permanent bedside computers reported higher agreement on computer availability.

Conclusions:

• Permanent bedside computers enhance medication scanning rates and perceived availability in critical care settings.
• While technology type did not affect error rates or administration time in this study, improved scanning suggests better adherence to verification protocols.
• Future research should explore the long-term impact of permanent bedside systems on patient outcomes and overall workflow efficiency.