University of Missouri-Columbia

Researchers Uses Technology to Improve

Medication Errors in Nursing Homes

Contact: Pam Roe
S218 School of Nursing
(573) 884-2690

  Print

February 26 , 2004

COLUMBIA, Mo. – As people grow older, the chances they are taking more than one type of medication per day is increasing. In mid-Missouri, the average senior in a nursing home is taking seven to 10 different medications daily. Jill Scott-Cawiezell, an assistant professor with the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, is researching ways to improve medication safety practices in the nursing home industry. One way to improve medication safety practices is to introduce cutting-edge technology into the equation.

Scott-Cawiezell’s study will evaluate the impact that one such electronic device, the OneTouch System eMAR system in partnership with nurse consultants from the Quality Improvement Program for Missouri (QIPMO) has upon medication safety practices.

“I want to explore the impact that an electronic device such as the OneTouch eMAR system could have in improving medication safety practices in the nursing home industry,” Scott-Cawiezell said. “This electronic system is a fully integrated clinical system that uses portable devices for patient information collection by caregivers at the point of care. This clinical documentation allows information to be collected at the point of care and then combined with the detailed elements from patient admission/discharge information, physician orders, care plans, nurse notes, specific clinical assessments and other clinical documentation into a database.”

The Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) is designed to replace the fallible paper MAR process that is currently being used in nursing facilities. By making these crucial medications records that track patient care available as real-time computerized sources of information, it will integrate the nursing home industry with the 21st century. One notable feature of the eMAR system is that it requires documentation of all ordered tests and monitoring instructions prior to the administration of the medication, thus benefiting Scott-Cawiezell research of improving medication safety practices.

The partnership between the MU Sinclair School of Nursing and OneTouch Technologies of Irvine, California, is funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study how technology can improve medication safety practices in five nursing homes in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.

The OneTouch System combines workflow reengineering and technology, thereby enabling nursing homes to improve patient care while providing a complete and secure audit trail for compliance and accountability purposes. For more than 90 percent of the information collected, the system uses preformatted clinical check boxes that help the caregiver to accurately and completely document activities of care and patient observation.

-30-