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Prescribing and medication communication on the post-take ward round
Brooke Myers1,2,3, Charles Mitchell4, Jenny A Whitty2
1Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Internal Medicine Journal
|April 13, 2017
Summary
Communication gaps during post-take ward rounds (PTWR) lead to suboptimal medication management and potential patient harm. Improving medication communication and action implementation is crucial for patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Medical communication
- Patient safety
- Medication management
Background:
- Communication failures and inadequate planning in healthcare settings are linked to medication errors, potentially harming patients.
- Effective medication communication during patient handovers is essential for continuity of care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and analyze medication communication and related actions during post-take ward rounds (PTWR).
- To identify the extent of medication discussion and implementation of planned actions during PTWR.
Main Methods:
- Observational study conducted over 6 weeks.
- Involved 24 post-take ward rounds (PTWR).
- Monitored 130 patients and 1244 prescribed medications, noting discussion depth and action implementation.
Main Results:
- 65% of medications (811) were discussed during PTWR.
- 249 discussions (126 medications) were categorized as 'in-depth'.
- 20% of planned medication actions were not completed by PTWR end, and 11% remained incomplete at hospital discharge.
Conclusions:
- Medication communication and subsequent action implementation during PTWR are suboptimal.
- There is a significant gap between planned and executed medication-related actions.
- Further research and process improvements are needed to enhance medication safety during ward rounds.