Improving Insulin Administration Through Redesigning Processes of Care: A Multidisciplinary Team Approach.

Area of Science:

• Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Errors of omission in preprandial subcutaneous insulin orders are a significant patient safety concern.
• Timely administration and accurate documentation of insulin coverage are crucial for effective diabetes management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a quality improvement project aimed at reducing errors of omission in preprandial subcutaneous insulin orders.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a process change involving the barcode medication administration system.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary Diabetic Management Work Group was formed to analyze system processes.
• Data on insulin order omission rates were collected before and after implementing standardized order sets and barcode medication administration system changes.

Main Results:

• The initial error of omission rate for coverage insulin was 23.4%.
• Following process redesign, the omission rate decreased to 10.7%, a 54% improvement.
• Improved administration and documentation of coverage insulin were observed.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal process changes, including standardized order sets and staff education, significantly decreased insulin omission errors.
• The project successfully enhanced the efficiency of insulin administration and documentation processes.
• These improvements contribute to better patient safety and diabetes care.