Abstract
Purpose: With increasing pressures on hospitals, home care by visiting nurses presents a viable option for care delivery. Nurses routinely provide complex interventions at home that previously were only available in a hospital setting. Medication errors are the most common type of error to occur with potentially serious and harmful consequences. Double checking of medication by a second qualified clinician is recognised as the gold standard practice to prevent medication errors, and routinely used when dangerous drugs such as opioids are administered in the hopsital setting. In the home care setting however there is no second clinician available to double check medication. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using Internet based videoconferencing to facilitate a double check at a distance.
Methods: Following an efficacy study to establish feasibility of checking medication items using Internet video, we undertook a pilot study using laptop computers and mobile Internet. Six nurses were recruited to participate in this study, and received training on using laptop computers and mobile Internet. The computers were taken on scheduled home visits to patient's homes and connectivity back to a base computer located at the hospital was established at each visit. Nurses would then use the integrated web camera in the computer to double check various items associated with the clinical care of the patient.
Results: During the study period, over 300 items were checked. Details of medication names, dosages and segmentations on syringes greater than 1 unit were all observed accurately 100% of the time. Expiry dates and small syringes were not able to be reliably checked using this method.
Conclusion: Patient saftey remains at the heart of nursing care. Providing care at home should not involve a compromise of standards. The use of technology presents and attractive option for facilitating a double check and warrants further research.
Sigma Membership
Unknown
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Saftey, Medication, Home Care
Recommended Citation
Bradford, Natalie K., "Safety of medication administration in the home: Should we double check?" (2012). INRC (Congress). 224.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2012/presentations_2012/224
Conference Name
23rd International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Brisbane, Australia
Conference Year
2012
Rights Holder
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Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Safety of medication administration in the home: Should we double check?
Brisbane, Australia
Purpose: With increasing pressures on hospitals, home care by visiting nurses presents a viable option for care delivery. Nurses routinely provide complex interventions at home that previously were only available in a hospital setting. Medication errors are the most common type of error to occur with potentially serious and harmful consequences. Double checking of medication by a second qualified clinician is recognised as the gold standard practice to prevent medication errors, and routinely used when dangerous drugs such as opioids are administered in the hopsital setting. In the home care setting however there is no second clinician available to double check medication. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using Internet based videoconferencing to facilitate a double check at a distance.
Methods: Following an efficacy study to establish feasibility of checking medication items using Internet video, we undertook a pilot study using laptop computers and mobile Internet. Six nurses were recruited to participate in this study, and received training on using laptop computers and mobile Internet. The computers were taken on scheduled home visits to patient's homes and connectivity back to a base computer located at the hospital was established at each visit. Nurses would then use the integrated web camera in the computer to double check various items associated with the clinical care of the patient.
Results: During the study period, over 300 items were checked. Details of medication names, dosages and segmentations on syringes greater than 1 unit were all observed accurately 100% of the time. Expiry dates and small syringes were not able to be reliably checked using this method.
Conclusion: Patient saftey remains at the heart of nursing care. Providing care at home should not involve a compromise of standards. The use of technology presents and attractive option for facilitating a double check and warrants further research.