Heed This Warning! Don’t Miss Important Computer Alerts
ISMP
Heed This Warning! Don’t Miss Important Computer Alerts
Although pharmacists typically enter prescriptions and orders into the pharmacy computer, in some settings, specially trained pharmacy technicians or pharmacy interns perform this function. In these circumstances, a pharmacist later verifies that the order has been entered as prescribed at the same time he or she is assuring the appropriateness of the medication and verifying that the proper drug and dose has been prepared.
Barcode Technology for Positive Patient Identification Prior to Transfusion
Barcode Technology for Positive Patient Identification Prior to Transfusion
Renewed initiative engages nurses and achieves 100% compliance.
In today’s increasingly complex, highly demanding clinical environment, introducing a new technology is challenging under the best of circumstances. What if, right when roll-out is going well, an unrelated connectivity interruption leads nurses to conclude “this doesn’t work”? You need to get your initiative back on track—especially when it relates to improving the safety of a critically important patient-care process.
Forever Changed: Shared Learning in Patient Safety
In an effort to promote patient safety, Baptist Health South Florida (Baptist Health) has instituted the Shared Learning process, the purpose of which is to educate and communicate with all stakeholders—our clinical staff, the Quality and Patient Safety Steering Council, and board members—in a proactive way.
Design for Reliability: Barcoded Medication Administration
Design for Reliability: Barcoded Medication Administration
There is now widespread agreement that hospital patients can be harmed by medication errors. Providing patients with medications in the acute care setting is a complex process that requires coordination in the flow of information when individuals order, transcribe, verify, dispense, and administer a medication. Early studies quantified the extent to which errors occur at each of these stages; one of the most troubling steps in the process is the administration phase, when 26 to 38% of the errors occur (Bates et al., 1995; Leape et al., 1995).
Editor’s Note: Training Options
Effective training is crucial for safety improvement, and there is a wide range of programs and approaches available for healthcare. I’ve had the opportunity recently to reflect on three in particular: train-the-trainer, TeamSTEPPS, and Virtual Experience Immersive Learning Simulation (VEILS®).
Steps Needed to Ensure Home Medical Devices Are Easy-to-Use and Caregivers Are Well-Trained
Workflow Assessment for Health IT—New Toolkit from AHRQ
CDC Issues Infection Prevention Guidance for Ambulatory Care
Excela Health Selects Next-generation Radio Frequency Detection Technology to Prevent Retained Surgical Items
National Health Care Provider Associations Join Forces to Reduce Emergency Department Crowding
Des Plaines, Illinois, July 13, 2011—Emergency department crowding has long been a serious problem for hospitals, health care providers and patients. It plays a significant factor in poor patient outcomes and contributes to violence against emergency department personnel.