Medication administration errors from a nursing viewpoint: a formal consensus of definition and scenarios using a...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality and safety
• Patient safety research
• Clinical pharmacology

Background:

• Medication administration errors are frequent in hospitals.
• A lack of formal consensus exists on defining these errors and classifying specific scenarios.
• This ambiguity impacts research and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a formal consensus on the definition of medication administration errors.
• To identify specific scenarios that constitute medication administration errors in hospital settings.
• To differentiate between medication administration errors and non-errors.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive study utilizing the Delphi technique.
• A panel of 50 experts from Palestinian hospitals, nursing schools, and universities participated.
• Three rounds of Delphi consensus-building were conducted using a questionnaire with 61 potential error scenarios.

Main Results:

• A consensus definition for medication administration errors was accepted.
• Experts agreed to include 50 out of 61 scenarios as medication administration errors.
• Eight scenarios were deemed equivocal, requiring consideration based on individual clinical context.

Conclusions:

• Formal consensus techniques, like the Delphi method, are effective in defining medication administration errors and associated scenarios.
• Standardized definitions and scenario classifications are crucial for accurate reporting and direct comparison of medication error rates in future studies.
• This consensus provides a foundation for improved medication safety research and practice in hospital settings.