Mazur Lukasz M, Chen Shi-Jie
Industrial Extension Service, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
Health Care Manag Sci. 2009 Mar;12(1):56-66. doi: 10.1007/s10729-008-9076-5.
Medication errors are major safety concerns in all hospital settings. The insufficient knowledge about managerial and process improvement strategies required to reduce medication errors can be considered as one of the most important factors holding back hospitals from achieving the desired goals for patient safety. However, strategies for medication error reduction cannot be successfully implemented without a clear understanding of factors affecting medication delivery errors. This paper presents a study in which healthcare professionals' perceptions on three factors, namely (1) technical complexity of tasks/connections; (2) resources problems; and (3) qualification of human resources, are analyzed within the medication delivery system at one community hospital. The outcomes of this research are a theoretical model for reducing medication delivery errors and a set ofworkflow design rules for healthcare professionals to continuously reduce medication delivery errors.
