Understanding Medication Errors: Causes, Impacts, and Effective Interventions in Healthcare
Introduction
Lee et al. (2017) note medication errors as the dominant cause of increased mortality rates among patients. Consecutively, medication errors have other notable effects ranging from death, the rise of new conditions, either permanent or temporary, such as skin disfigurement, itching, or rashes. Escrivá Gracia et al. (2019), on the other hand, notes medication errors as preventable events causing or leading to ineffective medication use or patient(s) harm while the medication process is in the healthcare professional, consumer, or patient control. Escrivá Gracia et al. (2019) also identify the significant causes of medication errors: inefficient communication among doctors and poor communication among patients and doctors. Additional causes for medication errors are patient-oriented problems, poor staffing workflow, and patterns. This paper mainly describes the available researches related to the causes of medication errors and possible interventions to limit or prevent the causes of medication errors.
Escrivá Gracia, J., Brage Serrano, R., & Fernández Garrido, J. (2019). Medication errors and drug knowledge gaps among critical-care nurses: A mixed multi-method study. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4481-7
Escrivá Gracia et al. (2019) argue that drug gap knowledge is one of the causes of medication errors among nurses and patients. While introducing a mixed multi-technique study, the authors above notes through their researches in health services research that knowledge gaps, especially among patients and nurses, are the leading cause of medical errors. Whether verbal or written, the gap has prompted medication errors among the two patients, adversely affecting healthcare systems or medical practices.
Escrivá Gracia et al., (2019) empirical findings and evidence remain efficient in outlining why medication errors despite various improvements are rampant. Indeed, their research is relevant in understanding the primary cause of medication errors. Knowledge gaps among healthcare practitioners and patients remain a complex and severe problem, more so in the intensive care unit. It prompts adverse consequences to the patient’s well-being and recovery processes.
Piccardi, C., Detollenaere, J., Vanden Bussche, P., & Willems, S. (2018). Social disparities in patient safety in primary care: A systematic review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-018-0828-7
Piccardi et al. (2018) focus on systematic reviews outlining the significant social disparities in primary care with patient safety. Also, while paying attention to equity in international health journals, the group notes that social disparities affect patient safety, which since time immemorial is a vast quality indicator for all primary care services. Social disparities based on their systematic review and research from PubMed and Science Web deters hospital care and leads to medication errors.
Piccardi et al. (2018) are critical in discussing the additional cause of medication errors in the medication premise, which is social disparities. As noted in their systematic review, vulnerable social groups are adversely affected by experienced economic and social obstacles linked to health-based services—the latter impacts their understanding of various prescribed drugs and communication with healthcare providers.
AHRQ. (2020). Six domains of health care quality. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. https://www.ahrq.gov/talkingquality/measures/six-domains.html
AHRQ (2020) notes, to prevent the negative impacts of medication errors in healthcare, it is critical for healthcare practitioners to adhere to the six healthcare standards incorporated by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). As noted, the six aims are critical in healthcare systems. They range from factors such as safety, effective services delivery, introducing patient-centered approaches, ensuring timeliness, and efficient use of healthcare equipment, energy, ideas, and supplies. Also, IOM notes to limit medication errors; healthcare personnel must introduce equitable care regardless of the patient’s socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, and geographic location.
AHRQ (2020) article is vital to discuss the significant IOM practices those healthcare premises personnel should adhere to limiting patient safety. The six principle practices mentioned above are fixed to the notion of efficiency and safety in healthcare platforms. They focus on examining timeliness and patient-centered services, which prompts equity and efficient healthcare services. The article at large grasps the meaning and essence of quality measures in healthcare premises preventing medical errors.
Lee, J. L., Dy, S. M., Gurses, A. P., Kim, J. M., Suarez-Cuervo, C., Berger, Z. D., Brown, R., & Xiao, Y. (2017). Towards a more patient-centered approach to medication safety. Journal of Patient Experience, 5(2), 83 87. https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373517727532
Lee et al. (2017) also identify the role of the Patient Experience Journal in patient care and safety. The group in their research argues that to limit the causes of medication errors in a healthcare setting, it is vital to have a patient-centered approach. According to Lee et al. (2017), introducing a patient-centered approach maximizes medication safety, the central norm to increasing high-quality healthcare. Also, they pay attention to empirical findings between 2005 and 2019 on the major causes and interventions to limit negative causes of medication errors. There result in notes, to prevent medication errors, healthcare personnel should set patient-oriented approaches to necessitate medication safety.
Lee et al. (2017) are vital in analyzing the role of patient-centered approaches in curbing healthcare improvement issues such as medication errors. In their journal, medication errors are among the significant health concern issues requiring immediate intervention—patient-centered approach as introduced limits medication errors and prompts patient engagement. Patients are provided with active roles to bringing in their concerns, knowledge, perspectives, and agendas linked to their health and any other safety interventions improving their health situations.
Yousef, N., & Yousef, F. (2017). Using a total quality management approach to improve patient safety by preventing medication error incidences**. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2531-6
Yousef & Yousef (2017) argue that it is vital to develop a total quality management approach to limit medication errors circumstances in healthcare premises. While conducting their study in the General Government Hospital and systematically reviewing the ongoing medication use processes in the premise, they argue to prevent medication errors linked to drug administration. For instance, it is vital to have a total quality management process. The strategy other than improving patient safety also improves the position of healthcare practices. Incorporating vast and effective management practices in healthcare premises based on their six sigma approaches is the most robust solution to preventing the negative impacts of medication errors.
Yousef & Yousef (2017) is rampant in understanding some better interventions to prevent the negative impacts of medication errors. As noted, the total quality management process in healthcare limits cases of medication errors. It reduces medication errors linked to drug administration, for instance. Other than improving healthcare practitioner’s written prescriptions, it further sets global standards enhancing patient safety.
In conclusion, the above literature reviews provided by respective authors discuss the significant causes and prevention measures to medication errors. Among the significant causes of medication errors based on the researched literature findings and evidence as social disparities and gap knowledge among healthcare practitioners and patients, which necessitates poor communication resulting in medication errors. As one of the quality improvement issues in a healthcare setting, medication errors based on the literature searches would be prevented by setting a patient-centered approach. Introducing a patient-centered approach maximizes medication safety which is the central norm to increasing high-quality healthcare. Additional intervention is following the six healthcare standards incorporated by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The six aims are critical in healthcare systems. They range from safety, effective services delivery, introducing patient-centered approaches, ensuring timeliness, and efficient use of healthcare equipment, energy, ideas, and supplies that limit medication errors.
References
AHRQ. (2020). Six domains of health care quality. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. https://www.ahrq.gov/talkingquality/measures/six-domains.html
Escrivá Gracia, J., Brage Serrano, R., & Fernández Garrido, J. (2019). Medication errors and drug knowledge gaps among critical-care nurses: A mixed multi-method study. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4481-7
Lee, J. L., Dy, S. M., Gurses, A. P., Kim, J. M., Suarez-Cuervo, C., Berger, Z. D., Brown, R., & Xiao, Y. (2017). Towards a more patient-centered approach to medication safety. Journal of Patient Experience, 5(2), 83-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373517727532
Piccardi, C., Detollenaere, J., Vanden Bussche, P., & Willems, S. (2018). Social disparities in patient safety in primary care: A systematic review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-018-0828-7
Yousef, N., & Yousef, F. (2017). Using a total quality management approach to improve patient safety by preventing medication error incidences**. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2531-6
