Automated detection of medication administration errors in neonatal intensive care

AbstractObjectiveTo improve neonatal patient safety through automated detection of medication administration errors (MAEs) in high alert medications including narcotics, vasoactive medication, intravenous fluids, parenteral nutrition, and insulin using the electronic health record (EHR); to evaluate rates of MAEs in neonatal care; and to compare the performance of computerized algorithms to traditional incident reporting for error detection.MethodsWe developed novel computerized algorithms to identify MAEs within the EHR of all neonatal patients treated in a level four neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in 2011 and 2012. We evaluated the rates and types of MAEs identified by the automated algorithms and compared their performance to incident reporting. Performance was evaluated by physician chart review.ResultsIn the combined 2011 and 2012 NICU data sets, the automated algorithms identified MAEs at the following rates: fentanyl, 0.4% (4 errors/1005 fentanyl administration records); morphine, 0.3% (11/4009); dobutamine, 0 (0/10); and milrinone, 0.3% (5/1925). We found higher MAE rates for other vasoactive medications including: dopamine, 11.6% (5/43); epinephrine, 10.0% (289/2890); and vasopressin, 12.8% (54/421). Fluid administration error rates were similar: intravenous fluids, 3.2% (273/8567); parenteral nutrition, 3.2% (649/20124); and lipid administration, 1.3% (203/15227). We also found 13 insulin administration errors with a resulting rate of 2.9% (13/456). MAE rates were higher for medications that were adjusted frequently and fluids administered concurrently. The algorithms identified many previously unidentified errors, demonstrating significantly better sensitivity (82% vs. 5%) and precision (70% vs. 50%) than incident reporting for error recognition.ConclusionsAutomated detection of medication administration errors through the EHR is feasible and performs better than currently used incident reporting systems. Automated algorithms may be useful for real-time error identification and mitigation

Aprendiendo con los errores: análisis de los incidentes en una unidad de cuidados neonatales

Objetivo: analisar os incidentes notificados em uma unidade de cuidados neonatais. Método: estudo quantitativo, transversal e retrospectivo, com amostra de 34 recém-nascidos. A coleta dos dados ocorreu mediante preenchimento de formulário estruturado, composto por duas partes: características sociodemográficas/clínicas dos recém-nascidos, e características dos incidentes notificados. Os dados foram coletados do sistema informático da instituição, em um período correspondente a 13 meses, sendo analisados por meio de estatística descritiva. Resultados: quanto às características sociodemográficas e clínicas, a maioria dos recém-nascidos era de prematuros (70,6%), do sexo masculino (52,9%) e que nasceu por meio de cesariana (76,5%). No período estudado foram notificados 54 incidentes, totalizando uma frequência de 1,6 incidente por recém-nascido. Encontrou-se que 61,1% dos incidentes estavam relacionados a medicamentos, 14,8% associados à perda acidental de tubo traqueal e 9,3% ligados à obstrução de cateteres. Conclusão: a análise dos incidentes notificados demonstrou que a maioria dos incidentes se refere ao processo de medicamentos. As informações sobre os incidentes podem ampliar a percepção dos profissionais de saúde em relação ao impacto das suas ações.Objective: to analyze incidents reported in a neonatal care unit. Method: a quantitative, crosssectional and retrospective study with a sample of 34 newborns. Data were collected through a structured form, composed of two parts: sociodemographic/clinical characteristics of the newborns, and characteristics of the reported incidents. Data were collected from the institution’s computer system, in a period corresponding to 13 months, and analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. Results: the majority of the newborns were preterm (70.6%), male (52.9%) and born through caesarean section (76.5%). During the study period, 54 incidents were reported, totaling a frequency of 1.6 incident per newborn. It was found that 61.1% of incidents were related to medicines, 14.8% to accidental loss of tracheal tube and 9.3% to catheter obstruction. Conclusion: analysis of the reported incidents has shown that most incidents refer to the drug process. Information about the incidents can increase the perception of health professionals regarding the impact of their actions.Objetivo: analizar los incidentes notificados en una unidad de cuidados neonatales. Método: estudio cuantitativo, transversal y retrospectivo, con muestra de 34 recién nacidos. La recolección de los datos fue completando el formulario estructurado, compuesto por dos partes: características sociodemográficas/clínicas de los recién nacidos y características de los incidentes notificados. Los datos fueron recogidos del sistema informático de la institución, en un período correspondiente a 13 meses, siendo analizados por medio de estadística descriptiva. Resultados: en las características sociodemográficas y clínicas, la mayoría de los recién nacidos era prematuros (70,6%), del sexo masculino (52,9%) y nacieron por medio de cesárea (76,5%). En el período estudiado fueron notificados 54 incidentes, totalizando una frecuencia de 1,6 incidentes por recién nacido. Se encontró que 61,1% de los incidentes estaban relacionados a medicamentos, 14,8% asociados a pérdida accidental de tubo traqueal y 9,3% ligados a obstrucción de catéteres. Conclusión: el análisis de los incidentes notificados demostraron que la mayoría de los incidentes se refiere al proceso de medicamentos. Las informaciones sobre los incidentes pueden ampliar la percepción de los profesionales de salud en relación al impacto de sus acciones

Committed to Safety: Ten Case Studies on Reducing Harm to Patients

Presents case studies of healthcare organizations, clinical teams, and learning collaborations to illustrate successful innovations for improving patient safety nationwide. Includes actions taken, results achieved, lessons learned, and recommendations

Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) in Reducing Medication Error: A Narrative Review

ABSTRACT Medication error leads to death and injury every day, causing lower quality of life and spend almost 1% of total global health expenditure. One of the solution of to prescribing error is using technology such as Computer Physician Order Entry (CPOE). This study purpose is to assess the use of CPOE in reducing medication error. The research method is a review of the narrative literature using systematic research, with 14 included studies. CPOE systems in hospitals were found to be capable of reducing medication errors especially in prescribing and administrative stage. However, CPOE system can be associated with new types of medication error, therefore, CPOE system must considered human factor, tailored according to the need of the hospital, and continuous training to reduce medication error

Effectiveness of Nursing Guidelines on Nurses’ Performance Regarding High Alert Medications at Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Context: A high alert medication (HAM) is a medication that causes serious harm if it is used in error. Neonatal nurses are responsible for administering HAMs; incorrect administration can significantly affect clinical outcomes.Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing guidelines on nurses' performance regarding HAMs at neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Methods: A quasi-experimental design (pre/post-test) was utilized. The study was conducted at NICUs in Children's Hospital and Maternity and Gynecological Hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University. A convenience sample of 80 nurses caring for high-risk neonates was included in the current study from the previous setting for six months. Two tools were used to collect data. They are a structured interview questionnaire and nurses’ performance observational checklist. Results: The nurses' mean age was 27.79±6.83. 35% of them were worked part-time jobs. A highly statistically significant improvement was shown post-test compared to the pre-test regarding the nurses' knowledge and practices about HAMs at 0.001. Conclusion: The present study concludes that applying nursing guidelines interventions improved the neonatal nurses' knowledge and practice related to HAMs. The study recommended emphasizing the importance of using nursing guidelines for HAMs interventions for improving neonatal nurses' knowledge and practices at NICUs

Interventions to reduce medication errors in neonatal care: a systematic review

Background: Medication errors represent a significant but often preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of interventions to reduce neonatal medication errors. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken of all comparative and noncomparative studies published in any language, identified from searches of PubMed and EMBASE and referencelist checking. Eligible studies were those investigating the impact of any medication safety interventions aimed at reducing medication errors in neonates in the hospital setting. Results: A total of 102 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria, including 86 comparative and 16 noncomparative studies. Medication safety interventions were classified into six themes: technology (n = 38; e.g. electronic prescribing), organizational (n = 16; e.g. guidelines, policies, and procedures), personnel (n = 13; e.g. staff education), pharmacy (n = 9; e.g. clinical pharmacy service), hazard and risk analysis (n = 8; e.g. error detection tools), and multifactorial (n = 18; e.g. any combination of previous interventions). Significant variability was evident across all included studies, with differences in intervention strategies, trial methods, types of medication errors evaluated, and how medication errors were identified and evaluated. Most studies demonstrated an appreciable risk of bias. The vast majority of studies (>90%) demonstrated a reduction in medication errors. A similar median reduction of 50–70% in medication errors was evident across studies included within each of the identified themes, but findings varied considerably from a 16% increase in medication errors to a 100% reduction in medication errors. Conclusion: While neonatal medication errors can be reduced through multiple interventions aimed at improving the medication use process, no single intervention appeared clearly superior. Further research is required to evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of the various medication safety interventions to facilitate decisions regarding uptake and implementation into clinical practice.Minh-Nha Rhylie Nguyen, Cassandra Mosel and Luke E. Grzeskowia

Applicability of Clinical Decision Support in Management among Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery in Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review

[Abstract] The advances achieved in recent decades regarding cardiac surgery have led to a new risk that goes beyond surgeons’ dexterity; postoperative hours are crucial for cardiac surgery patients and are usually spent in intensive care units (ICUs), where the patients need to be continuously monitored to adjust their treatment. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) have been developed to take this real-time information and provide clinical suggestions to physicians in order to reduce medical errors and to improve patient recovery. In this review, an initial total of 499 papers were considered after identification using PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Twenty-two studies were included after filtering, which included the deletion of duplications and the exclusion of titles or abstracts that were not of real interest. A review of these papers concluded the applicability and advances that CDSSs offer for both doctors and patients. Better prognosis and recovery rates are achieved by using this technology, which has also received high acceptance among most physicians. However, despite the evidence that well-designed CDSSs are effective, they still need to be refined to offer the best assistance possible, which may still take time, despite the promising models that have already been applied in real ICUs.Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2018/4

Jefferson Digital Commons quarterly report: January-March 2020

This quarterly report includes: New Look for the Jefferson Digital Commons Articles COVID-19 Working Papers Educational Materials From the Archives Grand Rounds and Lectures JeffMD Scholarly Inquiry Abstracts Journals and Newsletters Master of Public Health Capstones Oral Histories Posters and Conference Presentations What People are Saying About the Jefferson the Digital Common