Outcomes of Medication Administration Information System for Nurses

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Nursing Practice
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Healthcare systems are increasingly adopting new information systems (IS) to improve efficiency and patient care.
• Evaluating the impact of these systems on clinical workflows and medication errors (MEs) is crucial for successful implementation.
• Nurses' perspectives are vital in understanding the usability and effectiveness of new healthcare technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nurses' utilization of a new information system (IS).
• To compare medication errors (MEs) outcomes before and after the implementation of the new IS.
• To identify factors influencing medication errors related to the new IS and workflow.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire based on the system success model was distributed to 210 nurses.
• Medication errors (MEs) data were collected before and after the implementation of the new Medication Administration Information System (MAIS).
• Data included factors such as workflow design, patient assessment, regulations, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and double checks.

Main Results:

• Nurses rated charting time highest and screen speed lowest; dissatisfaction was noted regarding downtime and intranet speed.
• The primary factors contributing to medication errors (MEs) were not following MA SOPs, lack of MA regulations, and other unspecified reasons.
• Post-implementation, ME incidents decreased from 275 to 124, although the specific workflow factors contributing to errors differed between the pre- and post-implementation stages.

Conclusions:

• Nurses found value in the MAIS, but raised concerns about network speed.
• The implementation of the MAIS led to a reduction in medication error incidents.
• Workflow-related factors influencing medication errors evolved post-implementation, necessitating ongoing optimization.