Page 23 - Hoag Orthopedic Institute 2015 Outcomes Report

“OUR NURSES RELY ON THE MOST UPDATED INNOVATIONS TO STREAMLINE WORK FLOW AND TO ENSURE THE SAFEST POSSIBLE MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION.”
REBECCA ISRAEL, BSN, RN, CPHRM, CPHQ, DIRECTOR OF RISK MANAGEMENT, PATIENT SAFETY & REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
PATIENTTOUCH®: A SAFER MEDICATION STRATEGY
Medication errors reported to the FDA most commonly stem from poor communication; misinterpreted handwriting; drug name; label confusion and packaging. Medication administration in the health care setting has become safer – more accurate – in the past decade with adoption of bar codes and electronic medical records.
To maximize patient safety and achieve Meaningful Use (the government’s incentive system to promote electronic health records and safer practices), HOI invested in PatientTouch, an evolved barcode-based patient medication and therapy management system. Authorized nurses can administer medications, confirm administration accuracy, and collect and
capture clinical data at the bedside. Nurses
use PatientTouch to scan barcodes on their
own badges, the patient’s wristband, and
the medications. To further protect patient confidentiality, this handheld device deactivates if taken off the premises.
PatientTouch provides a compact and portable electronic medication administration record (eMAR) for the “right” care: the right patient receives the right medication, the right dose, right route, at the right time for the right indication. It ensures the patient has the appropriate (right) response to the medication, and that the medication administration is documented for future reference in the hospital’s electronic medical record. The device has a built- in medication library, providing clinical staff with information to educate patients on the indications and side effects of medications.
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