Changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals: a multisite controlled before and after study
Background Electronic medication systems (EMS) have been highly effective in reducing prescribing errors, but little research has investigated their effects on medication administration errors (MAEs).Objective To assess changes in MAE rates and types associated with EMS implementation.Methods This w...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2020-10-01
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| Series: | BMJ Health & Care Informatics |
| Online Access: | https://informatics.bmj.com/content/27/3/e100170.full |
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| author | Ling Li Johanna I Westbrook Peter Gates Amanda Woods Magdalena Z Raban Neroli S Sunderland |
| author_facet | Ling Li Johanna I Westbrook Peter Gates Amanda Woods Magdalena Z Raban Neroli S Sunderland |
| author_sort | Ling Li |
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| description | Background Electronic medication systems (EMS) have been highly effective in reducing prescribing errors, but little research has investigated their effects on medication administration errors (MAEs).Objective To assess changes in MAE rates and types associated with EMS implementation.Methods This was a controlled before and after study (three intervention and three control wards) at two adult teaching hospitals. Intervention wards used an EMS with no bar-coding. Independent, trained observers shadowed nurses and recorded medications administered and compliance with 10 safety procedures. Observational data were compared against medication charts to identify errors (eg, wrong dose). Potential error severity was classified on a 5-point scale, with those scoring ≥3 identified as serious. Changes in MAE rates preintervention and postintervention by study group, accounting for differences at baseline, were calculated.Results 7451 administrations were observed (4176 pre-EMS and 3275 post-EMS). At baseline, 30.2% of administrations contained ≥1 MAE, with wrong intravenous rate, timing, volume and dose the most frequent. Post-EMS, MAEs decreased on intervention wards relative to control wards by 4.2 errors per 100 administrations (95% CI 0.2 to 8.3; p=0.04). Wrong timing errors alone decreased by 3.4 per 100 administrations (95% CI 0.01 to 6.7; p<0.05). EMS use was associated with an absolute decline in potentially serious MAEs by 2.4% (95% CI 0.8 to 3.9; p=0.003), a 56% reduction in the proportion of potentially serious MAEs. At baseline, 74.1% of administrations were non-compliant with ≥1 of 10 procedures and this rate did not significantly improve post-EMS.Conclusions Implementation of EMS was associated with a modest, but significant, reduction in overall MAE rate, but halved the proportion of MAEs rated as potentially serious. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7fbec2d564a94eaf81ac1fde5d15eb3c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2632-1009 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Health & Care Informatics |
| spelling | doaj-art-7fbec2d564a94eaf81ac1fde5d15eb3c2025-08-20T02:11:17ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Health & Care Informatics2632-10092020-10-0127310.1136/bmjhci-2020-100170Changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals: a multisite controlled before and after studyLing Li0Johanna I Westbrook1Peter Gates2Amanda Woods3Magdalena Z Raban4Neroli S Sunderland5Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Macquarie University Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaAustralian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia2 Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research (CHSSR), Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia2 Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, Perth, Western Australia, Australia1 Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaCentre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Macquarie University Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaBackground Electronic medication systems (EMS) have been highly effective in reducing prescribing errors, but little research has investigated their effects on medication administration errors (MAEs).Objective To assess changes in MAE rates and types associated with EMS implementation.Methods This was a controlled before and after study (three intervention and three control wards) at two adult teaching hospitals. Intervention wards used an EMS with no bar-coding. Independent, trained observers shadowed nurses and recorded medications administered and compliance with 10 safety procedures. Observational data were compared against medication charts to identify errors (eg, wrong dose). Potential error severity was classified on a 5-point scale, with those scoring ≥3 identified as serious. Changes in MAE rates preintervention and postintervention by study group, accounting for differences at baseline, were calculated.Results 7451 administrations were observed (4176 pre-EMS and 3275 post-EMS). At baseline, 30.2% of administrations contained ≥1 MAE, with wrong intravenous rate, timing, volume and dose the most frequent. Post-EMS, MAEs decreased on intervention wards relative to control wards by 4.2 errors per 100 administrations (95% CI 0.2 to 8.3; p=0.04). Wrong timing errors alone decreased by 3.4 per 100 administrations (95% CI 0.01 to 6.7; p<0.05). EMS use was associated with an absolute decline in potentially serious MAEs by 2.4% (95% CI 0.8 to 3.9; p=0.003), a 56% reduction in the proportion of potentially serious MAEs. At baseline, 74.1% of administrations were non-compliant with ≥1 of 10 procedures and this rate did not significantly improve post-EMS.Conclusions Implementation of EMS was associated with a modest, but significant, reduction in overall MAE rate, but halved the proportion of MAEs rated as potentially serious.https://informatics.bmj.com/content/27/3/e100170.full |
| spellingShingle | Ling Li Johanna I Westbrook Peter Gates Amanda Woods Magdalena Z Raban Neroli S Sunderland Changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals: a multisite controlled before and after study BMJ Health & Care Informatics |
| title | Changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals: a multisite controlled before and after study |
| title_full | Changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals: a multisite controlled before and after study |
| title_fullStr | Changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals: a multisite controlled before and after study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals: a multisite controlled before and after study |
| title_short | Changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals: a multisite controlled before and after study |
| title_sort | changes in medication administration error rates associated with the introduction of electronic medication systems in hospitals a multisite controlled before and after study |
| url | https://informatics.bmj.com/content/27/3/e100170.full |
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