Key result
Improving patient safety in intravenous practice requires a focus on robust organizational systems rather than solely on individual human factors to effectively reduce medication-related incidents.
Highlights the significant risks and costs associated with intravenous medication errors and emphasizes a systems-based approach to improving patient safety.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support systems-based IV safety protocols; leaves open prospective trials before practice change.
The aim of this article is to explore factors leading to risks and to offer suggestions that improve practice and patient safety. Patient safety has gained prominence in the past decade ( Department of Health (DH), 2000 ; McCannon and Berwick, 2011 ), while awareness of managing risk and learning from adverse events has also increased ( Ingram and Lavery, 2005 ). The DH (2006) estimated that 1 in 10 patients admitted to hospital will unintentionally be the victim of an error, and around 50% of these are avoidable errors. The NPSA (2007a) received 800 reports a month relating to injectable medicines and these represented 24% of the total reported medication-related incidents. The cost to the NHS ranges from £88 000 to £400 000 per annum for patient safety incidents ( DH, 2006 ). However, any risk reduction must focus on the system and not just the individual, and this recognizes complexity of the care and the NHS, and that human factors can be supported by robust organizational systems ( Vincent et al 2000 ).
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Irene Lavery (2011) conducted a review in Patient safety in intravenous practice. System-level risk reduction strategies was evaluated. Improving patient safety in intravenous practice requires a focus on robust organizational systems rather than solely on individual human factors to effectively reduce medication-related incidents.
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