Principles of Preventing Medical Errors in Hospitals…Nouridin Melo, PhD
Principles of Preventing Medical Errors in Hospitals, Nouridin Melo, PhD
Author: Nouridin Melo, PhD
Researcher, Lecturer & Content Writer
teachersincharge@gmail.com
06.06.2022
Medical error can occur due to various factors, such as poor communication among providers, lack of standard procedures for storing medications, and not verifying dosage before administering it. In some instances, the patient is not even involved in the care process. In general, the erroneous action is attributed to the individual who committed it, and he or she may be punished for it. However, this approach fails to consider the factors that are part of the system. In such cases, multiple latent errors may occur, resulting in an active error. We shall examine 5 Principles of preventing medical errors in Hospitals as such;
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Disruption-free locations
A disruptive employee in a hospital environment can result in a number of medical errors. As the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) notes, the work environment must be collaborative, and disruption can hinder that collaboration. As a result, the Joint Commission has issued a sentinel event alert warning of the safety risks presented by disruptive behavior. The alert is intended to raise awareness about the dangers of this behavior and the steps that must be taken to eliminate it.
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Computerized provider order entry systems
Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) is a key technology that reduces prescription errors for inpatients at hospitals. Researchers in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association and the Journal of Health & Biomedical Law have documented the benefits of CPOE. According to a recent study, 97 percent of U.S. hospitals use CPOE in conjunction with clinical decision support.
Evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems in hospitals has shown that they can reduce medication errors and adverse drug events. Although these effects have been demonstrated in both inpatient and ambulatory care settings, few studies have examined the impact of CPOE in preventing medication errors in hospitals. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a basic ambulatory CPOE system on medication errors and to determine the reasons for the heterogeneous results.
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Inter-professional collaboration
Common causes of errors include: catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line bloodstream infections, adverse drug events, falls, pressure ulcers, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and obstetrical adverse events. These errors are also commonly associated with lack of necessary personnel, incorrect diagnosis, inadequate preoperative assessment, insufficient testing, and inadequate postoperative monitoring. These errors can have a large impact on the health of the patient, and can lead to poor outcomes.
The Collaborative is inclusive, without walls. Participants include professional organizations that represent the front line of health care delivery. It also includes government agencies actively involved in the health of patients through policies and programs that help identify and apply best clinical services. Finally, other organizations are engaged in the evolution of the health care workforce and the professions. All these entities can help hospitals and other institutions improve patient safety and quality of care.
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Patient handoffs
Common causes of medical errors include poor communication and a lack of proper training among health care providers. Acute illnesses, such as pneumonia, should be referred to a specialist when possible. It is also important to delegate the responsibility of following-up on tests and patient disposition. Many adverse outcomes of discharge are associated with abnormal vital signs. Hospitals should implement the principles of preventing medical errors by assessing patients at the time of admission and discharge.
Sentinel events are events that can cause serious harm and must be investigated. Sentinel events include unexpected occurrences, process variations, or serious physical injury. They indicate a need for immediate investigation, cause discovery, and response. In the United States, nearly 400,000 hospitalized patients experience preventable harm. Medical errors cost $20 billion annually and result in 100,000 deaths. These events are preventable, but they still pose a serious threat to patients and the overall health care system.
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Medication errors
To reduce medical errors, healthcare providers should work to improve teamwork and education. Reducing barriers to reporting mistakes and promoting a collaborative work environment are also important. The most effective methods include building safeguards, such as double-checking drugs and verifying the patient’s identity before administering a medication. Others include encouraging written protocols and procedures and establishing a quiet room. Checking patients before discharge can also reduce the risk of error.
The most common mistakes in hospital care are those caused by misdiagnosis or improper care. For example, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line bloodstream infections, adverse drug events, falls, pressure ulcers, obstetrical adverse events, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and venous thrombosis are all common errors in these settings. Many common errors are also related to incorrect diagnosis, failure to develop a differential diagnosis, ordering inappropriate tests, and failing to follow-up on pending issues.
In conclusion, it is appropriate to understand that in medicine, as in any human activity, errors can exist. To understand that, far from trying to conceal it, each of the authors of the health care system, doctor and non-physician, at whatever level of responsibility they act, must contribute in all transparency so that we understand the “why” of it.
