Enhancing Interprofessional Team Performance to Prevent Medication Errors in Emergency Care: Quasi-Experimental Study...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Simulation

Background:

• Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is critical for patient safety, especially in high-pressure environments like emergency departments (EDs).
• Poor teamwork and communication in EDs contribute to medication errors.
• Existing Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS)-based training faces challenges in clinical adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Emergency Room Virtual Simulation-Based Interprofessional Education (ER-VIPE) in improving IPC.
• To assess changes in IPC performance in both simulated and real-world ED settings.
• To examine the impact of ER-VIPE on medication error rates in the ED.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental study involving 15 interprofessional teams (physicians, nurses, pharmacists) underwent ER-VIPE training.
• The multimodal intervention included medical films, a TeamSTEPPS online course, and computer-based simulation (SIMBIE) with co-debriefing.
• Interprofessional collaboration was measured using the Modified TeamSTEPPS and Team Performance Observation Tool (mTPOT); medication errors were compared pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Overall mTPOT scores significantly increased post-simulation co-debriefing (P<.001), with notable improvements across all professions.
• Significant improvements in mTPOT domains were sustained in real-world ED settings two months post-intervention (P<.001).
• While harmful medication errors did not significantly decrease, reporting of near-miss prescription errors significantly increased (P=.01).

Conclusions:

• ER-VIPE effectively enhanced IPC among ED healthcare professionals, with lasting effects in clinical practice.
• The multimodal approach, combining foundational knowledge with simulation-based practice, proved effective.
• Increased near-miss reporting suggests ER-VIPE fosters improved situational awareness and a stronger safety culture in emergency care.