Intervention study for the reduction of medication errors in elderly trauma patients

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd..

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the impact of a set of measures designed by a working group to reduce medication errors (MEs) during the care transition of elderly trauma patients. The secondary objectives were to classify MEs and determine their location.

METHODS: A 43-month pre-post prospective intervention study in a university hospital. A working group was set up in the Trauma Service. A pharmacist analysed the pharmacotherapeutic processes of all patients admitted to the Trauma Service in different healthcare locations from Monday to Friday. To detect MEs, the pharmacist reviewed this process at the following points: reconciliation, prescription, validation, dispensing, and administration records. Errors were classified according to the Ruiz Jarabo classification. Subsequently, the working group designed a set of measures that were implemented with the incorporation into the Acute Care Team and the intervention of a pharmacist. Data on MEs were again collected in a post-implementation phase.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction in MEs between phases. A total of 132 (31.3%) patients experienced MEs during the pre-implementation phase and 75 (16.2%) during the post-implementation phase. Among the measures implemented, the incorporation of the pharmacist to the team, as well as training sessions and design of medication protocols. During the pre-implementation and post-implementation phases, the ME rates were respectively as follows: reconciliation 31.6% (172) vs 14.8% (91); prescription 7.7% (79) vs 1.9% (23); dispensing 1% (10) vs 0.3% (3); administration record 0.4% (4) vs 0.0% (0); and validation 0.3% (3) vs 0.1% (1). There were significant reductions in reconciliation, prescription, and dispensing errors. The majority of the MEs occurred in the Trauma Service.

CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of specific measures by a Multidisciplinary Safety Group reduced MEs in the care transition of elderly trauma patients, particularly those MEs that occurred during reconciliation. The greatest reduction in MEs occurred in the Trauma Service.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:27

Enthalten in:

Journal of evaluation in clinical practice - 27(2021), 1 vom: 05. Feb., Seite 160-166

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Parro Martín, María de Los Ángeles [VerfasserIn]
Muñoz García, María [VerfasserIn]
Delgado Silveira, Eva [VerfasserIn]
Martín-Aragón Álvarez, Sagrario [VerfasserIn]
Bermejo Vicedo, Teresa [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Journal Article
Medication error
Pharmaceutical care
Pharmaceutical intervention
Safety group
Traumatology

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 28.07.2021

Date Revised 28.07.2021

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1111/jep.13407

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM309533708