Describe a current safety concern in your practice environment.
Explain one HIT that could be applied to address the concern.
Explain how it could be applied to enhance safety.
Identify at least one possible unintended consequence of adopting the HIT.
Discuss at least one strategy for mitigating the unintended consequence.
Description: A common safety concern in healthcare settings, particularly in busy environments like emergency departments, is medication errors. These errors can lead to adverse patient outcomes, including hospitalization, disability, and even death.
HIT Solution: Bar-Coded Medication Administration (BCMA)
BCMA is a technology-enabled system that uses barcodes on medication and patient identification bands to verify the accuracy of medication administration. This system helps prevent medication errors by:
How BCMA Enhances Safety:
BCMA significantly reduces the risk of medication errors by automating the verification process and providing real-time alerts if there are discrepancies. This can help prevent medication errors such as giving the wrong dose, administering the wrong medication, or giving medication to the wrong patient.
Possible Unintended Consequence:
One potential unintended consequence of adopting BCMA is increased workload for healthcare providers. If the system is not user-friendly or requires additional steps in the medication administration process, it could lead to frustration and decreased efficiency.
Mitigation Strategy:
To mitigate this unintended consequence, it is essential to:
By addressing these concerns and implementing BCMA effectively, healthcare organizations can significantly improve patient safety and reduce the risk of medication errors.