International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine - Volume 27, issue 1

Authors: Acheampong, Franklin | Bruce, Elizabeth | Anto, Berko Panyin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Pharmacists by their training have the competences and skills to promote safe use of medicines which is an essential component of patient safety. This study explored the perceptions of hospital pharmacists' role in medication safety in Ghana, identified their attendant challenges and ways of enhancing such roles in the future. METHOD: A self-administered questionnaire was delivered to 200 pharmacists selected conveniently from the 10 regions of Ghana. Questions in the questionnaire were based on a systematic literature review that had catalogued and summarised all the activities of hospital pharmacists related to medication safety. RESULTS: A total of 176 (88% …response rate) questionnaires were completed and returned. Almost all pharmacists (97.7%) believed that they were involved in medication safety activities in their daily routine. The frequently performed activities were counselling of out-patient (91.8%), training pharmacy and other clinical students (72.2%), reporting on medication errors (70%), and reconciling medications (69.2%). The mean weekly time spent on the activities ranged from 6.5 to 19.8 hours. Participants who had clinical pharmacy related additional qualifications (χ2 = 37.749; p = 0.049) and worked in tertiary care hospitals (χ2 = 26.6; p = 0.377) undertook more medication safety activities than those without. The cited challenges faced by participants included inadequate time available (62.7%), spending most time in managerial activities (47.3%), lack of formal structures of engagement (43.8%), lack of motivation by superiors (34.9%), and no formal schedule by supervisor (32%). Only 7.7% stated they lack interest in performing those activities. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacists undertake many medication safety activities routinely that they perceive to have impact on patient care outcomes. Restructuring of their managerial roles will contribute to freeing time for pharmacists to engage more in those activities. Show more

Keywords: Pharmacist, patient safety, hospital, error reporting, Ghana

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-150638

Citation: International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 1-10, 2015

Authors: Kurutkan, Mehmet Nurullah | Usta, Esra | Orhan, Fatih | Simsekler, M. C. Emre

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to measure an adverse event rate and determine the potential usefulness of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Global Trigger Tool (GTT). Besides using the GTT to measure the adverse event rate, a comparison was also made with the internal Voluntary Reporting Notification System (VRNS) to identify and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches. METHOD: Retrospective data were collected from reported patient safety incidents covering a one-year period at Duzce University Hospital, Turkey. Using a range of selection criteria, a total of 219 patient records were selected and then reviewed by …a trained GTT team, to investigate the positive triggers in the content of the patient records. RESULTS: It was determined that adverse events per 1000 patient days totalled 80.72. Adverse events per 100 admissions were 29.39, and the rate of admissions with adverse events was 16.67%. The comparison between the GTT and the VRNS showed that the GTT is 19 times more sensitive than the VRNS in the adverse event evaluation process. CONCLUSION: This is the first published study of the rate of adverse events in a Turkish healthcare setting using the GTT. It was found that the GTT was applicable in this setting, yielding more accurate measurement of the adverse event rate. However, the content of the GTT should be adjusted regarding the standards and documentations used in the Turkish healthcare system to be more useful. Show more

Keywords: Patient safety, adverse event, IHI Global Trigger Tool

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-150639

Citation: International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 11-21, 2015

Authors: Darbyshire, Daniel | Barrett, Charlotte | Ross, David | Shackley, David

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Ward rounds are the traditional process by which clinical information is interpreted and management plans made in the inpatient setting and the only time during which patient-doctor interaction can reliably occur. Efforts to improve quality and safety have started looking at the ward round but this has mainly been in the acute medical setting. OBJECTIVE: To begin the quality improvement process for Urological ward rounds. METHODS: Twenty indicators thought to relate to quality were recorded for every weekday ward round by the Urology team for one month. RESULTS: Twenty ward rounds, 93 patient encounters, were reviewed. A consultant was …present for 37% of the patient encounters. 84% of observation charts were reviewed; drug charts 28% and antibiotics 70%. Plans were communicated to the doctors, patient and nursing staff. All notes were typed directly onto the electronic system, 20% of notes were checked by the lead clinician. Mean time per patient was 6 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: By starting a discussion about ward rounds we aim to align the process with the broader values of the organisation. Ward rounds can be the cornerstone of delivering safe, clean and personal care and measuring this process is vital to understanding efforts to improve them. Show more

Keywords: Urology, quality improvement, audit, ward round, patient safety

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-150640

Citation: International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 23-33, 2015

Authors: Grech, Victor

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: AIMS: Fallout from atomic bomb testing may travel great distances before precipitating. Males are born in excess of females in a ratio that approximates 0.515 (M/T: male live births divided by total live births. Radiation increases M/T by causing lethal malformations that affect female more than male foetuses, decreasing total births. This study was carried out in order to ascertain whether the effects of increased background radiation levels from atomic weapon testing had any widespread effects on M/T and births in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australasia in relation to the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963. METHODS: Annual live …births by gender were obtained from a World Health Organization dataset and annual number of atomic bomb tests were also obtained (historical data). RESULTS: Overall, 94.5% of births studied showed a uniform reduction in M/T between the early 1950s to the late 1960s, followed by an increase to the mid-1970s, with a subsequent decline. A negative correlation of M/T with total births was found in 66% of births studied, and these were the regions which exhibited the rising M/T pattern in the 1970s. The birth deficit for countries with significant correlations of total births with M/T (North America, Europe and Asia) was estimated at 10090701. CONCLUSIONS: A rising M/T was found in most regions in temporal association with atomic weapon testing. Most of these regions also had an associated decline in total births. Elevated levels of man-made ambient radiation may have reduced total births, affecting pregnancies carrying female pregnancies more than those carrying male pregnancies, thereby skewing M/T toward a higher male proportion. Show more

Keywords: Birth Rate/*trends, radiation, ionizing, sex ratio, infant, newborn

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-150641

Citation: International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 35-44, 2015

Authors: Saiyed, Mohd Masnoon | Lalwani, Tarachand | Rana, Devang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The lack of specific medicines and labeling recommendations for the pediatric population is a long-standing problem. Using data from an observational study of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among pediatric inpatients, we aimed to test the hypothesis that off-label status is a risk factor for ADRs. METHODS: A prospective intensive surveillance was conducted at a pediatric ward of a public teaching hospital. Adverse events to labeled and off-label use were assessed for incidence, severity and predictors. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model used to assess off-label use is a risk factor for ADR occurring. RESULTS: Off-label and labeled use …were responsible for 34 (67%) and 17 (33%) ADRs respectively. Medicines which lacked complete pediatric labeling had the greatest odds for ADRs (9.21% of medicines in this category were implicated, OR 2.84 (95% CI 1.37–7.09). Number of off-label medicines given to patient significantly increased the hazard of an ADR (hazard ratio (HR) 1.28, 95% CI 0.43–3.78, P = 0.002). Number of medicines given also significantly increased the hazard (HR 1.2, 95% CI 0.80–1.71, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Use of off-label medicines were more likely to be implicated in an ADR than labeled medicines. This off-label use would be acceptable if evidence of potential benefits outweighs ADRs risk. Show more

Keywords: Adverse drug reactions, pediatrics, prescribing, off-label

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-150642

Citation: International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 45-53, 2015