Title
Automated detection of medication administration errors in neonatal intensive care
Abstract
Display Omitted We developed computerized algorithms to detect medication administration errors.We defined administration error rates for high-risk medications using the algorithms.Compared to incident reporting, the algorithms had better sensitivity and precision.Automated algorithms support real-time error identification and mitigation. ObjectiveTo improve neonatal patient safety through automated detection of medication administration errors (MAEs) in high alert medications including narcotics, vasoactive medication, intravenous fluids, parenteral nutrition, and insulin using the electronic health record (EHR); to evaluate rates of MAEs in neonatal care; and to compare the performance of computerized algorithms to traditional incident reporting for error detection. MethodsWe developed novel computerized algorithms to identify MAEs within the EHR of all neonatal patients treated in a level four neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in 2011 and 2012. We evaluated the rates and types of MAEs identified by the automated algorithms and compared their performance to incident reporting. Performance was evaluated by physician chart review. ResultsIn the combined 2011 and 2012 NICU data sets, the automated algorithms identified MAEs at the following rates: fentanyl, 0.4% (4 errors/1005 fentanyl administration records); morphine, 0.3% (11/4009); dobutamine, 0 (0/10); and milrinone, 0.3% (5/1925). We found higher MAE rates for other vasoactive medications including: dopamine, 11.6% (5/43); epinephrine, 10.0% (289/2890); and vasopressin, 12.8% (54/421). Fluid administration error rates were similar: intravenous fluids, 3.2% (273/8567); parenteral nutrition, 3.2% (649/20124); and lipid administration, 1.3% (203/15227). We also found 13 insulin administration errors with a resulting rate of 2.9% (13/456). MAE rates were higher for medications that were adjusted frequently and fluids administered concurrently. The algorithms identified many previously unidentified errors, demonstrating significantly better sensitivity (82% vs. 5%) and precision (70% vs. 50%) than incident reporting for error recognition. ConclusionsAutomated detection of medication administration errors through the EHR is feasible and performs better than currently used incident reporting systems. Automated algorithms may be useful for real-time error identification and mitigation.
Year
DOI
Venue
2015
10.1016/j.jbi.2015.07.012
Journal of Biomedical Informatics
Keywords
Field
DocType
Computerized algorithms,Electronic health record,Medication administration,Medication administration errors,Medication error detection,Patient safety
Data mining,Neonatal intensive care unit,Dobutamine,Emergency medicine,Patient safety,Pediatrics,Parenteral nutrition,Fentanyl,Medical record,Intensive care,Medicine,Vasoactive
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
57
C
1532-0464
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
1
0.37
7
Authors
10
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Qi Li1656.98
Eric Kirkendall212.06
Eric Hall312.06
Yizhao Ni47615.19
Todd Lingren511412.78
Megan Kaiser6927.44
nataline lingren750.80
Haijun Zhai8627.40
Imre Solti933723.36
Kristin Melton1011.73