The Effectiveness of Checklists versus Bar-codes towards Detecting Medication Planning and Execution Errors

• Main Author: Rose, Emily
• Other Authors: Cafazzo, Joseph
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: checklists; smart pumps; patient safety; medication errors; medication administration; 0541
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/33513

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a checklist, compared to a smart pump and bar-code verification system, at detecting different categories of errors in intravenous medication administration. To address this objective, a medication administration safety checklist was first developed in an iterative user-centered design process. The resulting checklist design was then used in a high-fidelity simulation experiment comparing the effectiveness of interventions towards two classifications of error: execution and planning errors. Results showed the checklist provided no additional benefit for error detection over the control condition of current nursing practice. Relative to the checklist group, the smart pump and bar-coding intervention demonstrated increased effectiveness at detecting planning errors. Results of this work will this work will help guide the selection, implementation and design of appropriate interventions for error mitigation in medication administration.