Sample Solution

The process of medication administration involves a number of steps to ensure patient safety and efficacy. This includes obtaining an accurate medication order from the prescribing physician, checking that it is in line with evidence-based treatment guidelines, preparing the medication correctly for administration, providing clear instructions on how to take it, and regularly monitoring adverse reactions or other side effects (Patterson et al., 2013). Electronic health records (EHRs) have been found to increase safety during these processes by improving communication between healthcare professionals and ensuring accurate documentation. Firstly, EHR systems can reduce prescribing errors by having alerts built into the system which warn physicians when a potentially harmful combination of medications is ordered for a patient (Koppel et al., 2005). Additionally, research indicates that EHRs can help decrease transcription errors as information does not need to be entered manually; this reduces the risk of incorrect orders due to illegible handwriting or misheard verbal instructions (Bates & Gawande 2001). Furthermore, EHRs are also beneficial in helping nurses double check dosage calculations through pre-populated dropdown menus which can prevent over/under dosing mistakes (Magrabi et al., 2019). Finally, electronic systems provide real-time access to medical records making it easier for clinicians across different sites or healthcare organizations to communicate with each other regarding a patient’s care. This ensures that important information such as changes in prescription orders or test results are shared quickly and accurately between professionals who work with the same patients at different times or locations (Bates & Gawande 2003).