Medication Incidents in an Emergency Department (MINED) A Qualitative Research Study

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Copyright: Singh, Shivanjali
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Abstract
Aim: To explore the views, thoughts, perceptions and opinions of health workers in an emergency department (ED) about medication incidents. Methods: Health workers in an Emergency Department were invited to participate in discussions surrounding medication incidents. Qualitative research methods were used. Discussions occurred in homogenous groups of similar seniority and discipline. Focus group discussions, written responses and individual discussions occurred depending upon the options selected by participants and the circumstances. These discussions were designed to elicit views concerning: what is meant by medication incidents ; what risks are associated with medication incidents; what are the issues of significance regarding medication incidents; how these issues should be addressed. Results: Twenty nine respondents participated in this qualitative research. 31% were senior medical officers, 17% were junior medical officers, 14% were pharmacists, 17% were senior and triage nurses, 10% were junior nurses and 10% occupied management roles. The majority of participants indicated that prescribing and administration errors caused most of the medication incidents. Contributing factors raised were staff competency, training, and education; the stressful environment contributed to by demands for urgent actions, short staffing, and high workload; communication issues, policies, documentation including medication charts; need to communicate with people outside the hospitals i.e. patients and community health professionals; diversity of staff personalities, de-motivated staff; and easy access of medications in ED. Some interesting outlier comments from participants were: The fact that things are not improving , Not kept awake by medication concerns and patients in corridors and cubicles which is an indication of some real opinions and circumstances of health care workers in ED. Conclusion: Awareness and understanding of what comprises a medication incident was extensive amongst ED staff. Major factors which were thought to contribute towards medication incidents in emergency department were ineffective communication (verbal and written), lack of competency in staff regarding medication management and stressful work environment.
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Singh, Shivanjali
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Publication Year
2012
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Thesis
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Masters Thesis
UNSW Faculty
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