Electronic prescribing and patient safety

Project summary

Background

Errors associated with prescribing and administering medication in hospital inpatients are relatively common, although fortunately most do not result in patient harm. While the prescribing and administration of medication has traditionally been done on paper within the UK, hospitals are increasingly moving to the use of electronic prescribing systems.  There are some studies of the impact of such systems on the safety of medication use, but relatively few have been conducted within the UK nor explored the impact of any ‘settling in time’ following the change, which is potentially important in understanding the impact of the change process.

This research aims to explore how the introduction of inpatient electronic prescribing and medication administration, integrated within an electronic health record system, affects the safety of medication prescribing and administration within a UK hospital setting.

Outcomes

As part of this work, we want to investigate how an electronic prescribing and administration system may impact on medication administration.  We are currently conducting an observational study of nurses’ medication administration rounds on an inpatient ward before and after the implementation of an electronic prescribing and administration system. We have taken a time-series analysis approach where data is collected at regular intervals starting prior to implementation of the system, continuing during the transition to the electronic system, through to when it is well established. We are looking at aspects related to safe medication administration, as well as efficiency for ward staff. This approach should help us explore the impact over time and provide more information about the settling in period. We anticipate that the findings will help identify both potential positive and negative consequences which can then help inform and improve practice in order to optimise the benefits from such systems.  

Next steps will involve exploring the impact on prescribing practices as well as pharmacists’ and doctors’ working practices.