OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a set of interventions in reducing the interruption/distraction rate during medication administration. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Pre- and postintervention observational study of nurses undertaking medication rounds. SETTING: Acute Medical Admissions Unit (AMAU) of a 1000-bed teaching hospital. INTERVENTION: A set of measures previously proven successful in reducing interruptions (behaviour modification and staff education; checklists; visible symbols in the form of a red vest; and signage) were adapted and introduced onto the AMAU. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of interruptions and distractions pre- and postintervention overall and for each individual source of interruption. RESULTS: There was a highly significant association (p<0.0001) between the overall interruption/distraction rate and the pre-/postintervention studies, with the rate of interruptions postintervention being 0.43 times that of the preintervention level. When individual sources of interruptions and distractions were compared pre- and postintervention, a significant difference (p<0.05) in the interruption/distraction rate was found for five of the 11 categories assessed. CONCLUSIONS: The data support a multifactorial approach to reducing the interruption/distraction rate on medication rounds. Suggestions for future research include: directly quantifying the impact of the interventions described in this study on the volume of medication administration errors; assessing the time lost as a result of interruptions and distractions during the medication round; and developing a standardised means of recording and analysing interruptions and distractions to allow meaningful comparison of the benefits of interventions across studies.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a set of interventions in reducing the interruption/distraction rate during medication administration. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Pre- and postintervention observational study of nurses undertaking medication rounds. SETTING: Acute Medical Admissions Unit (AMAU) of a 1000-bed teaching hospital. INTERVENTION: A set of measures previously proven successful in reducing interruptions (behaviour modification and staff education; checklists; visible symbols in the form of a red vest; and signage) were adapted and introduced onto the AMAU. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of interruptions and distractions pre- and postintervention overall and for each individual source of interruption. RESULTS: There was a highly significant association (p<0.0001) between the overall interruption/distraction rate and the pre-/postintervention studies, with the rate of interruptions postintervention being 0.43 times that of the preintervention level. When individual sources of interruptions and distractions were compared pre- and postintervention, a significant difference (p<0.05) in the interruption/distraction rate was found for five of the 11 categories assessed. CONCLUSIONS: The data support a multifactorial approach to reducing the interruption/distraction rate on medication rounds. Suggestions for future research include: directly quantifying the impact of the interventions described in this study on the volume of medication administration errors; assessing the time lost as a result of interruptions and distractions during the medication round; and developing a standardised means of recording and analysing interruptions and distractions to allow meaningful comparison of the benefits of interventions across studies.
Authors: Hanna M Seidling; Anette Lampert; Kristina Lohmann; Julia T Schiele; Alexander J F Send; Diana Witticke; Walter E Haefeli Journal: Br J Clin Pharmacol Date: 2013-09 Impact factor: 4.335
Authors: Mustafa Ozkaynak; Noel Metcalf; Daniel M Cohen; Larissa S May; Peter S Dayan; Rakesh D Mistry Journal: Appl Clin Inform Date: 2020-09-09 Impact factor: 2.342
Authors: Elizabeth A Greenstein; Vineet M Arora; Paul G Staisiunas; Stacy S Banerjee; Jeanne M Farnan Journal: BMJ Qual Saf Date: 2012-12-20 Impact factor: 7.035
Authors: Shinyi Wu; Naihua Duan; Jennifer P Wisdom; Richard L Kravitz; Richard R Owen; J Greer Sullivan; Albert W Wu; Paul Di Capua; Kimberly Eaton Hoagwood Journal: Adm Policy Ment Health Date: 2015-09