ED Accreditation Update
Joint Commission urges these preventive actions
Below are suggested actions to help prevent patient harm related to the implementation and use of health information technology (IT) and converging technologies.
- Examine workflow processes and procedures for risks and inefficiencies, and resolve these issues prior to any technology implementation.
- Actively involve clinicians and staff who will ultimately use or be affected by the technology, along with IT staff with strong clinical experience, in the planning, selection, design, reassessment, and ongoing quality improvement of technology solutions, including the system selection process.
- Assess your organization's technology needs beforehand, such as supporting infrastructure; communication of admissions, discharges, transfers, etc.
- During the introduction of new technology, continuously monitor for problems and address any issues as quickly as possible, particularly problems obscured by workarounds or incomplete error reporting.
- Establish a training program for all types of clinicians and operations staff who will be using the technology, and provide frequent refresher courses.
- Develop and communicate policies delineating staff authorized and responsible for technology implementation, use, oversight, and safety review.
- Prior to taking a technology live, ensure that all standardized order sets and guidelines are developed, tested on paper, and approved by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (or institutional equivalent).
- Develop a graduated system of safety alerts in the new technology that helps clinicians determine urgency and relevancy.
- Develop a system that mitigates potential harmful drug orders created by computerized physician order entry (CPOE) by requiring departmental or pharmacy review and sign off on orders that are created outside the usual parameters.
- To improve safety, provide an environment that protects staff involved in data entry from undue distractions when using the technology.
- After implementation, continually reassess and enhance safety effectiveness and error-detection capability, including the use of error tracking tools and the evaluation of near-miss events.
- After implementation, continually monitor and report errors and near misses or close calls caused by technology through manual or automated surveillance techniques.
- Re-evaluate the applicability of security and confidentiality protocols as more medical devices interface with the IT network.
Poor IT Implementation teaches hard lessons
Below are suggested actions to help prevent patient harm related to the implementation and use of health information technology (IT) and converging technologies.Article Limit Reached
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