Effectiveness of an electronic inpatient medication record in reducing medication errors in Singapore

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of an inpatient electronic medication record system in reducing medication errors in Singaporean hospitals. This pre- and post-intervention study involving a control group was undertaken in two Singaporean acute care hospitals. In one hospital the inpatient electronic medication record system was implemented while in another hospital the paper-based medication record system was used. The mean incidence difference in medication errors of 0.06 between pre-intervention (0.72 per 1000 patient days) and post-intervention (0.78 per 1000 patient days) for the two hospitals was not statistically significant (95%, CI: [0.26, 0.20]). The mean incidence differences in medication errors relating to prescription, dispensing, and administration were also not statistically different. Common system failures involved a lack of medication knowledge by health professionals and a lack of a systematic approach in identifying correct dosages. There was no difference in the incidence of medication errors following the introduction of the electronic medication record system. More work is needed on how this system can reduce medication error rates and improve medication safety.

Medication Errors in the Southeast Asian Countries: A Systematic Review

“…Not all the interventional studies showed positive outcomes, however. In the study performed by Choo et al, an inpatient electronic medication record system was the intervention used to reduce ME, but the system was found to have little effect [ 32 ].…”

“…The factors contributing to MEs were reported in 15 studies [ 12 – 16 , 19 – 25 , 27 , 31 , 32 ]. The most common ones are listed below; it is important to remember, however, that MEs usually arise from poorly designed work environments and systems rather than the individual performance of a single practitioner [ 33 ].…”

Tecnologias Envolvidas Na Promoção Da Segurança Do Paciente No Processo De Medicação: Uma Revisão Integrativa

“…Erros envolvendo prescrições equivocadas não são alertados pelo BCMA e o eMAR, que operam a partir da correção pelo profissional para que o sistema funcione normalmente (28)(29) . Estudo realizado em algumas unidades hospitalares, sem a utilização do código de barras eMAR, demonstrou que a taxa de erros de medicação praticamente duplicou (11,5%) em relação às unidades que faziam uso (6,8%) (26) . Diferentemente das tecnologias citadas anteriormente, usadas na administração, a tecnologia RFID apresenta vantagens relacionada à praticidade de uso.…”

“…O Bar-Code-Assisted Medication Administration (BCMA) (23)(24)(25) e Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) (31) são sistemas de leitura de código de barras projetado para evitar erros de medicação na administração, podendo ser registrado pelo Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) (26)(27) . of Things (IoT) (32) e o Near Field Communication (NFC) (34) permitem a intercomunicação destas informações.…”

Impact of Bar-Code Medication Administration and Electronic Medication Administration Record System in Clinical Practice for an Effective Medication Administration Process

“…The study revealed there was no significant difference in the incidence of medication errors following the introduction of the electronic medication record system [8]. It suggested that further studies should be conducted to evaluate how this system can reduce medication error rates and improve medication safety.…”