Introduction
A variety of factors influence the quality of services provided in healthcare. The management is accountable for ensuring that the standard of the services conforms to the expected standards. That is, the quality has to accomplish the stakeholders’ goals, should not have any medical error, and the patient should have their issues solved on time. One of the benefits of high-quality services is that it lowers the costs related to medical errors, failure, and adverse reputation. However, delayed discharge of patients and lack of consistency in the treatment processes are key factors that should be considered in the quality improvement process. This essay discusses how medical error incident reports can be used as an example to illustrate how quality improvement should be applied to the clinical microsystem.
Medication Error Incident Reports
This is one of the mechanisms that can be used to detect possible problems concerning the quality of service delivery. Reporting errors is crucial to their prevention. Therefore, an efficient reporting system enables the management to recognize the causes of the errors and take relevant precautions to overcome them. According to (Hegarty et al., 2020), incident reports are tools used to document any unintended occurrence that could lead to harm to a patient. They can be submitted to any service providers associated with patient care, including pharmacists, nurses, and physicians. Additionally, an analysis of these incident reports can assist in recognizing the trends in medication errors, enabling aimed interventions to enhance the quality of care.
Mechanism to identify a potential problem concerning the quality of service delivery
Medical professionals understand their responsibility and are aware when things are not working out as expected. Thus, they can detect when an error can happen and avoid it. Therefore, one of the most efficient systems that can be used to detect potential errors is ISMP National Medication Error Reporting Program since it needs a small number of experts to interpret the outcomes and develop recommendations (Vaida, 2015). The system aids service providers in developing their records of these challenges.
Techniques of data collection that may be required to illustrate the scope of the quality improvement process
Data can be collected through chart audits, interviews with patients and staff, and direct observation. Chart audits consist of a review of a client or service user’s charts to recognize medication errors. At the same time, direct observation entails observing staff administer medication to comply with medication administration procedures and policies (Alomari et al., 2017). Furthermore, interviews with patients and staff can offer insight into possible obstacles to medication safety and opportunities for enhancement. Medical errors could occur in any section f the hospital, thus the need for adequate data collection. This can be distinguished into four categories: inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, and enrollment. More so, the extent of the quality improvement process is ascertained by the size of the facility as well as the number of activities it comprises. Therefore, data from the clinical microsystem can be gathered from daily functioning.
Structure, process, or outcome standards to place this quality improvement
The quality improvement process is entirely concerned with enhancing the reporting process for medical errors. The recognition, collection of data, reporting, and analysis of medical errors are constituents of a comprehensive reporting system. Thus, the structure and process that can be used in activating the quality improvement initiative into action should comprise engaging and training the stakeholders in the process and consistent evaluation to guarantee that everything works as planned. However, the process merges the goals of all related departments and contemplates their planned performance to point out where a medical error is more likely to arise. This improvement will make certain that errors are identified and reported on time to avoid forgetting.
Standards will be used to measure the effectiveness of the quality improvement effort.
The improvement process needs evaluation to ascertain its intended objectives. One goal is to ascertain a decrease in medical errors and an increase in the accuracy of medication orders, an enhancement in medication reconciliation, and an increase in staff education and medication safety. These standards are crucial measures to examine the comprehensiveness of the medication error quality improvement effort. Therefore, by monitoring and analyzing such metrics, healthcare organizations can dictate whether their interventions are efficiently decreasing the occurrence o medication errors and enhancing the safety of the clients or patients (Science of Improvement: Establishing Measures | IHI – Institute for Healthcare Improvement, n.d.).
Steps the organization (system) should take to avoid this quality issue in the future
In order to avoid the issue of medication errors in the future, the system could take a number of steps, such as executing a medication reconciliation process, providing ongoing education for staff concerning medication safety, utilizing digitalized physician data entry systems, and developing standardized guidelines for high-risk mediations (Chiewchantanakit et al., 2019). Moreover, the organization could also inspire a culture of safety that ranks transparency and open communication concerning medication errors. These measures will ensure there is a decrease in the occurrence of errors and enhance the potency of workers.
Conclusion
Overall, medication errors can have serious implications for healthcare organizations and patients. Implementing a reporting system to recognize potential medication errors, gathering data on the type and number of errors and their primary causes, and using standards for improvement can aid healthcare organizations in developing and implementing efficient quality improvement measures. Therefore, by taking steps including executing medication reconciliation processes, providing staff education, and ranking first, the culture of safety can help decrease the incidence of medication errors and enhance patient outcomes.
References
Alomari, A., Wilson, V., Solman, A., Bajorek, B., & Tinsley, P. (2017). Pediatric Nurses’ Perceptions of Medication Safety and Medication Error: A Mixed Methods Study. Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing, 41(2), 94–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694193.2017.1323977
Chiewchantanakit, D., Meakchai, A., Pituchaturont, N., Dilokthornsakul, P., & Dhippayom, T. (2019). The effectiveness of medication reconciliation to prevent medication error: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 16(7). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.10.004
Hegarty, J., Flaherty, S. J., Saab, M. M., Goodwin, J., Walshe, N., Wills, T., McCarthy, V. J. C., Murphy, S., Cutliffe, A., Meehan, E., Landers, C., Lehane, E., Lane, A., Landers, M., Kilty, C., Madden, D., Tumelty, M., & Naughton, C. (2020). An International Perspective on Definitions and Terminology Used to Describe Serious Reportable Patient Safety Incidents. Journal of Patient Safety, Publish Ahead of Print. https://doi.org/10.1097/pts.0000000000000700
Science of Improvement: Establishing Measures | IHI – Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (n.d.). Www.ihi.org. https://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/HowtoImprove/ScienceofImprovementEstablishingMeasures.aspx
Vaida, A. J. (2015). The Institute for Safe Medication Practices and Poison Control Centers: Collaborating to Prevent Medication Errors and Unintentional Poisonings. Journal of Medical Toxicology, 11(2), 262–264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13181-015-0475-y
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