In an effort to prevent medication errors, barcode medication administration technology has been implemented in many health care organizations. An integrative review was conducted to understand the effect of barcode medication administration technology on medication errors, and characteristics of use demonstrated by nurses contribute to medication safety. Addressing poor system use may support improved patient safety through the reduction of medication administration errors.
Although electronic health record systems have been implemented in many health settings globally, how organizations can best implement these systems to improve medication safety in mental health contexts is not well documented in the literature. The purpose of this case report is to describe how a mental health hospital in Toronto, Canada, leveraged the process of obtaining Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Stage 7 on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model to improve clinical care specific to medication safety in its inpatient settings. Examples of how the organization met several of these HIMSS criteria are described as they relate to utilizing data from the system to support clinician practice and/or decision-making for medication safety.
Purpose
This paper describes the strategy and outcomes of a quality improvement initiative focused on building the capacity of nurses at a mental health and addictions teaching hospital to provide an improved standard of physical health care. Education was provided via a series of e‐learning modules and interactive workshops. To reinforce the education and enhance practice change, improvements were made to electronic documentation templates and organizational standards. Further, the organization provided increased access to physical health equipment, a mobile application to support assessments and a reference card for lanyards.
Conclusions
Nurses identified increased confidence in performing physical assessments, and documentation improved with standards and automated forced functionality in the electronic health record. Ultimately, the organization successfully implemented a multifaceted strategy to improve physical healthcare services for people with mental health and substance use concerns.
Practice Implications
Organizational investment can lead to sustainable changes in nursing confidence and increased physical health assessment completion.
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