Introduction
Errors in prescribing and using drugs can have pronounced negative consequences for patients. The most important point for public health is safety and strategies to prevent possible errors in medical institutions. At present, strategies to reduce the problem are not enough and the issue needs to be studied in more depth. This paper aims to expand and discuss issues related to the causes of errors and ways to solve them.
Elements of the Problem/Issue
As a healthcare professional, my job is to provide patients with safe treatment. According to studies, during drug treatment, patients may be influenced by errors on the part of staff. This can affect their health and in some situations lead to death. The challenge facing the healthcare system is to reduce the incidence of medical errors and their detrimental impact on the health of patients.
First of all, a common cause is insufficient communication among staff. Thus, in the case of transferring information on paper or electronic media, a nurse or doctor may make a mistake. For example, some staff do not talk to each other about the patient’s medications by transferring them electronically, which leads to problems (Mazhar et al., 2018). As a result, a person can develop serious consequences, which will lead to health issues and an unsatisfactory status for the hospital.
Another error factor is often the lack of professionalism and incompetence of some employees. It happens that young employees who have recently completed practice and training are left in the hospital without patronage. As a result, they manage everything on their own and can make more mistakes than under the supervision of a head nurse. The lack of long practice and well-established strategies becomes the cause of medical error. Thus, when supervising only new and not yet fully competent personnel, the patient is at greater risk.
Additionally, many errors are not due to emergencies or incompetent employees. In some cases, this is due to human factors in the performance of routine work. The source of this problem is extremely difficult to determine, since it can be at all stages of treatment, from prescribing the drug to administering it (Isaacs et al., 2021). Doctors are human beings and, like any human being, they are subject to many mistakes. Routine work weakens the attention of a person, which increases the carelessness and inattention of the staff.
Analysis
As a healthcare professional, it is important for me to understand the factors that lead to errors. Inaccuracies in the administration of drugs are the greatest risk to the patient and require careful consideration. Moreover, it is important to understand the strategies that can be directed towards solving the problem. The joint work of staff and health representatives can help the medical community to reduce the problem presented.
Context for Patient Safety Issues
The technological process allowed medical workers to keep all records electronically. Moreover, in special journals, the dosage and medicine prescribed to patients are noted. However, in the process of transmitting information, a healthcare professional may write the dosage incorrectly. This data will be saved in the system and the workers of the next shift will be sure that the information entered is correct. Lack of attention and lack of professionalism, lack of proper communication often become the main factors of the problem.
Populations Affected by Patient Safety Issues
Elderly patients with concomitant cardiovascular and neurological diseases represent the main risk group. Since their condition usually requires more careful care, any mistake in the dosage of the drug can be fatal for them (Mazhar et al., 2018). Moreover, patients in the intensive care unit are at great risk. This is due to the fact that they require the most careful care and any changes in dosage can lead to an unfavorable outcome. Therefore, it is important for the medical staff to take the necessary measures and strategies to reduce such cases.
Considering Options
Patient safety and reduced risk of medical errors is a necessary option that can be achieved in several ways. First of all, it is important to create a highly effective culture of communication between employees (Mieiro et al., 2019). Since this area is often the source of errors, medical institutions must establish specific rules for the transmission of information. This will reduce possible risks and treat patients more successfully.
At the same time, it is necessary to regularly hold rallies and train the medical team. Since the human factor cannot be ruled out when working with patients, many of them become victims of the inattention of the staff. Due to the constant repetition of material and the introduction of new measures, patients will be more protected from possible errors. Additionally, it is important to consider ethical principles when applying strategies. First of all, this is harmlessness and checking the dosage of administered drugs. It is essential for healthcare workers to check the data several times (Mieiro et al., 2019). Beneficence is directed to the establishment of the exact remedy in the treatment, autonomy indicates the complete inclusion of the patient in the treatment plan.
Solution
To solve the problem, it is important to establish a unified communication system, as a result of which the staff will confirm the entered data. At the same time, nurses who received information from other personnel must double-check the information and re-enter it into the electronic system. Additionally, specific barcodes on each patient-specific drug will help reduce errors. When scanning information, the nurse will see all the displayed data regarding the dosage for a particular person.
Implementation
The introduction of barcodes on medicines is a strategy that greatly improves patient safety. The medical staff reads the information and can be sure that the dosage is correct. However, even with such a system, workers may encounter data inaccuracies and incorrectly provided information. In addition, it can undermine privacy norms, as the barcode contains information about the patient. To avoid problems with the safety of these patients, medicines should be located in a room inaccessible to unauthorized persons.
While barcodes improve patient safety, incompetence and unprofessionalism remain a common problem. This is especially true with the arrival of young professionals. This issue needs to be addressed and can be closed through several strategies (Gillani et al., 2021). First of all, a specialist who has proven himself well should be allocated for some time to help a new employee. They will be able to transfer knowledge to the employee and provide ways for the most efficient work. In addition, additional training should be given to new hires to help them better understand the job. Thus, additional knowledge can improve work and help new employees settle in faster.
Conclusion
Patient safety involves the application of strategies and pathways that reduce the risk of error. First of all, this is due to the establishment of highly effective communication among employees. Due to this, information about the dosage of drugs will be transferred directly from this one employee to another. In addition, barcoding medicines will allow nurses to check dosing and know exactly which medicine belongs to a patient’s treatment.
References
Gillani, S. W., Gulam, S. M., Thomas, D., Gebreighziabher, F. B., Al-Salloum, J., Assadi, R. A., & Sam, K. G. (2021). Role and Services of a Pharmacist in the Prevention of Medication Errors: A Systematic Review. Current Drug Safety, 16(3), 322-328.
Isaacs, A. N., Ch’ng, K., Delhiwale, N., Taylor, K., Kent, B., & Raymond, A. (2021). Hospital medication errors: a cross-sectional study. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(1), 136-147.
Mazhar, F., Haider, N., Ahmed Al-Osaimi, Y., Ahmed, R., Akram, S., & Carnovale, C. (2018). Prevention of medication errors at hospital admission: a single-centre experience in elderly admitted to internal medicine. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 40(6), 1601-1613.
Mieiro, D. B., Oliveira, É. B. C. D., Fonseca, R. E. P. D., Mininel, V. A., Zem-Mascarenhas, S. H., & Machado, R. C. (2019). Strategies to minimize medication errors in emergency units: an integrative review. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 72, 307-314.