Quality assurance and effectiveness of the medication process through tablet computers?

Medication errors during admission to hospitals pose a significant problem. Most of the severe medication errors may be related to dispensation and administration. The medication errors may be induced by cost savings and staff reduction characterizing the current health care system. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether implementation of tablet computers has potential to enhance the quality assurance and efficiency of the medication dispensing and administration stages. The study is based on a combination of participant observation, structured workshop and qualitative interviews. Data has primary been collected on a Danish hospital ward. The study concludes that the technology still needs to mature before implementation and that there is a constant need for redesign of the technology. However, the results also show that technology has the potential to improve patient safety in the dispensing and administration stages because of an easier control and overview of the medicine paradigm; right patient, right drug, right dose and right time. Additionally, the technology appears to have the potential to streamline work flow in the administration stage due to an improved barcode registration mechanism. However, the potential of a successful implementation depends on prior working routines in the individual hospital ward.