Statement of Topic
Thompson et al.(2018) rightly observe that in a world where technological advances are at their peak, why quality improvement in healthcare systems remains below acceptable levels, almost to the point of causing death, should concern all stakeholders. Quality improvement frameworks employed in the healthcare field aim to standardize processes and structures to reduce variations and achieve a stable and predictable outcome for patients, healthcare systems, and the entire organization. However, many healthcare facilities still lose patients to preventable medical errors. It impedes addressing patient care needs, ensuring safety, and achieving desired outcomes. This paper will offer insight into the surge in human medication administration errors in healthcare that impedes achieving quality healthcare improvement. In particular, the paper will aim to provide an evidence-based practice that will address the sorry state of the practice and decrease medication administration errors to optimize healthcare outcomes.
Ho, J., & Burger, D. (2020). Improving medication safety practice at a community hospital: a focus on bar code medication administration scanning and pain reassessment. BMJ open quality, 9(3), e000987. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2020-000987
This article argues that over 30% of medical errors occur at the point of administration and identifies two key areas of opportunity for quality improvement: bedside bar-code medication administration and pain reassessment. I find it essential to address the topic as it agrees with the research topic that medical administration errors exist and have far-reaching consequences on quality. It exposes different points of quality breaches and strategies to address them. As the two scholars observe, “only 81% of medication are scanned before administration, creating room for potential errors that could further hurt the patient. The contributors, professor David Burger and Professor Jacqueline Ho have collectively contributed over 450 articles in the field and are active researchers in health sciences, therefore are credible, and their contributions are regarded in high esteem in this topic.
Thompson, K. M., Swanson, K. M., Cox, D. L., Kirchner, R. B., Russell, J. J., Wermers, R. A., Storlie, C. B., Johnson, M. G., & Naessens, J. M. (2018). Implementation of Bar-Code Medication Administration to Reduce Patient Harm. Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes, 2(4), 342–351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2018.09.001
This article aims to reduce patient harm that arises from medical administration. It will help the research by assisting in assessing the impact of implementing bar-code medication administration technology as an initiative to eliminate medical errors during administration. As the contributors posit, “administration errors, such as giving wrong drug or wrong dose contribute to approximately 20% of the hospital medication errors. All the seven contributors are distinguished scholars with a minimum Ph.D. qualification and are authorities in the medical world. Christine Thompson, for example, is a correspondent in the department of emergency medicine at Mayo Clinic and a prolific contributor to reputable medical journals.
van der Sluijs, A. F., van Slobbe-Bijlsma, E. R., Goossens, A., Vlaar, A. P., & Dongelmans, D. A. (2019). Reducing errors in the administration of medication with infusion pumps in the intensive care department: A lean approach. SAGE open medicine, 7, 2050312118822629. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312118822629
According to this article, medical errors remain crucial in improving healthcare quality and safety. I will use the article to establish the different administration errors to affirm the need to reduce them as part of quality improvement. The article posits that “administering medication using infusion pumps carries a range of risks that cause incidents affecting patient safety and increasing medication cost. The article also suggests different ways of lowering administration errors which will help inform the research. The contributors are renowned doctors with over two decades of experience in healthcare. Van der Sluijs, for example, is known for his numerous articles that aim to optimize patients’ safety.
Kirkendall, E., Huth, H., Rauenbuehler, B., Moses, A., Melton, K., & Ni, Y. (2020). The Generalizability of a Medication Administration Discrepancy Detection System: Quantitative Comparative Analysis. JMIR medical informatics, 8(12), e22031. https://doi.org/10.2196/22031
This article also reflects on the overwhelming proposition of medication errors that healthcare facilities register yearly by data. I will use it to foreground the research using data on the impact and the extent of medical errors in lowering healthcare safety and quality. It posits that “ technology adoption can be a helpful addition in healthcare to help identify errors in real-time, detect discrepancies and attempt to eliminate the errors. The contributors of the article are of great reputation in the medical field. Eric Kirkendall is an innovator in healthcare, currently serving as the director of Digital Health Innovation. His contribution to using technology to lower medical errors will help establish the gaps that still exist that lead to persistent errors.
Leahy, I. C., Lavoie, M., Zurakowski, D., Baier, A. W., & Brustowicz, R. M. (2018). Medication errors in a pediatric anesthesia setting: Incidence, etiologies, and error reduction strategies. Journal of clinical anesthesia, 49, 107–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2018.05.011
The article deals with medical errors during anesthetic medication to lower the frequency, type, and outcome. According to the authors, overdose, incorrect admission routes, and pump misuse are some of the sources of errors in anesthetic patients that lead to harm. Building on this knowledge will be essential in establishing an evidence-based practice to ensure that errors are minimized through measurable actions to increase quality. Professor Izabela C Leahy is a practicing nurse, a clinical administrator, and a healthcare leader whose reputation, integrity, credibility, and talent in guiding the healthcare field to success are immeasurable. The co-contributors are also men and women of high stature in the medical field whose assessment of the situation will offer insight to further the research objectives.
References
Ho, J., & Burger, D. (2020). Improving medication safety practice at a community hospital: a focus on bar code medication administration scanning and pain reassessment. BMJ open quality, 9(3), e000987. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2020-000987
Kirkendall, E., Huth, H., Rauenbuehler, B., Moses, A., Melton, K., & Ni, Y. (2020). The Generalizability of a Medication Administration Discrepancy Detection System: Quantitative Comparative Analysis. JMIR medical informatics, 8(12), e22031. https://doi.org/10.2196/22031
Leahy, I. C., Lavoie, M., Zurakowski, D., Baier, A. W., & Brustowicz, R. M. (2018). Medication errors in a pediatric anesthesia setting: Incidence, etiologies, and error reduction strategies. Journal of clinical anesthesia, 49, 107–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2018.05.011
Thompson, K. M., Swanson, K. M., Cox, D. L., Kirchner, R. B., Russell, J. J., Wermers, R. A., Storlie, C. B., Johnson, M. G., & Naessens, J. M. (2018). Implementation of Bar-Code Medication Administration to Reduce Patient Harm. Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes, 2(4), 342–351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2018.09.001
van der Sluijs, A. F., van Slobbe-Bijlsma, E. R., Goossens, A., Vlaar, A. P., & Dongelmans, D. A. (2019). Reducing errors in the administration of medication with infusion pumps in the intensive care department: A lean approach. SAGE open medicine, 7, 2050312118822629. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312118822629
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