According to the institute of medicine (IOM) medical error occurs due to failure to complete a planned action as intended. A lot of lives are lost due to medical errors that can otherwise be prevented (Ehteshami et al., 2013). This has forced the Joint Commission and institute for safe medication practices to adopt new technologies that can help health care professionals to prevent these medication errors. The goals of these technologies are to improve the administration of medication and patient identification. Technology has proved to be the best method to improve the safety of the patients. In United States, medical errors are the third leading factor that causes deaths.
The adoption of the electronic health records technology is one of the mechanisms that can used to prevent these medication errors. Electronic health records are able to collect electronically lifetime information about a person (Ehteshami et al., 2013). It provides safe maintenance and transmission of information. The data that can be stored electronically includes; information on allergies, behavioral, environmental, legal, demographic, diseases and injuries, and administrative. It helps to prevent errors incurred in drug administration, diagnosis, actions, treatment, and administrative tasks.
Barcode medication administration technology can be used by the physicians to prevent medication errors (Ehteshami et al., 2013). This technology provides every patient with a wristband that contains information that facilitates identification enabling pharmacy and nursing departments to have access to this information. The information can be used to administer drugs to the patients. This technology ensures that injection and medication errors are eliminated. The right patient is treated with the right drug and dose as well as at the right time. The technology is applied in hospitals to improve the safety of the patients, documentation, preparation of medical bills for the patients, and to reduce medical errors.
Consequently, the clinical decision support system prevents medical errors. It provides information and knowledge concerning the patients to the physicians. The system results to better planning, reduction in cost, quality improvement, and reduction in medical errors (Ehteshami et al., 2013). In fact, this system is software that gives information required for safe health care. These information can be used for recommendations for care, evidence based practices and procedures. It offers physicians reminders and alerts about the risks such as allergies and lab tests. Most importantly, the usage of this technology has helped in reduction of errors by promotion of effective usage of drug, warning physicians about medical problems and reduces the effects of antibiotics. Additionally, computerized provider order entering of information plays a major role in prevention of medical errors. This technology provides readable, standard and accurate information about the patients. This method is effective as it reduces medical errors by 83% (Ehteshami et al., 2013).
I agree with this article that medical errors are the third leading cause of deaths in the United States. However, these deaths can be prevented by use of technology (Ehteshami et al., 2013). Technology improves the delivery of care since it improves test results, delivery of clinical reports, consultation and recommendations. I also agree with the article that technology improves communication between health providers and patient in identification, entry of data and risk evaluation. This communication is paramount in the prevention of medical errors (Exscribe, 2014).
Conclusively, there is need for healthcare professionals to increase their knowledge on the effective technology to use to reduce medication errors. Some of the technologies include; clinical decision support system, electronic health records, barcode medication administration, and computerized provider order entering of information. Use of these technologies has proved to prevent medical errors as well as drugs adverse effects.
References
Ehteshami, A., Rezaei, P., Tavakoli, N., & Kasaei, M. (2013). The role of health information technology in reducing preventable medical errors and improving patient safety. International Journal of Health System and Disaster Management, 1(4), 195.]
Exscribe. (2014). EHRs shown to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors. Retrieved from http://www.exscribe.com/orthopedic-e-news/meaningful-use/ehrs-shown-to-improve-patient-safety-and-reduce-medical-errors
