answer_1 (50)

doc

School

The University of Nairobi *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

MISC

Subject

Medicine

Date

Nov 24, 2024

Type

doc

Pages

Uploaded by muindefaith90

1 Medication Errors Brochure Evaluation Name Department, Institution Course Professor Date

2 Medication Errors Brochure Evaluation Medicine errors occur frequently and are a major cause of harm and death in the healthcare organization. The Speak Up campaign has addressed this issue using a brochure titled: “Preventing Medicine Errors: Help Avoid Mistakes With Your Medicine.” The Joint Commission published this brochure on May 15, 2020. The brochure targets the general patient population and addresses medication safety in the hospital as well as at home (The Joint Commission, 2020). The brochure is useful in empowering patients to prevent medication errors and could be used to increase patient safety in and out of the health center. Summary of Brochure The brochure has five sections on medicine safety. The first section discusses the people responsible for medications including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and the patient (The Joint Commission, 2020). The second section is about what the patient should know about medication. The authors list legibility of the prescription, patients’ need to read the label, and understanding instructions (The Joint Commission, 2020). Furthermore, in the third section, the brochure directs the patient to consult their doctor or pharmacist. The brochure also guides the patients on what to do to reduce risk of medication errors in the hospital. Finally, the brochure has a list of questions for the patient to ask their doctor (The Joint Commission, 2020). This brochure is a guide for patients to minimize the risk of medication errors. Patient Communication Patient communication with healthcare workers is important in preventing medication errors. In the brochure, the patient is guided to ask questions to their healthcare workers. For instance, they are instructed to ask their doctor or pharmacist how the medicine will help them and also safety of taking the medication with other medicines among other questions (The Joint

3 Commission, 2020). The Joint Commission recognizes the importance of patient communication in preventing medication errors. The brochure has sufficient information on communication needs for the patient. Personal Reflection The topic of medication error prevention is important for nurses and patients alike. On the part of the nurse, they have a responsibility to create an environment that minimizes harm and promotes patient safety. Nurses can be held accountable for medication errors. On the part of the patient, medication errors may cause serious harm, even death. In general, healthcare should not harm the patient and my interest in this topic was due to my curiosity about making healthcare safer for patients. Evaluation of Brochure The brochure presents highly useful information for preventing medication errors. Generally, the brochure guides patients and hence provides empowerment for them to prevent errors and hold healthcare workers accountable for their health as well. The brochure presents several aspects effectively and some could be improved. First, the questions provided for patients to ask are very useful. The questions revolve around contraindications, allergies, safe administration, and written communication (The Joint Commission, 2020). These questions are useful because, according to Donaldson et al. (2017), written communication and written procedures are some of the major areas of concern in medication management. On the other hand, the brochure could improve information on medication side effects and interpreting prescriptions. This information could improve patients’ knowledge of medication administration. Moreover, the information is presented clearly and could be useful in enhancing patient safety. Clear presentation is ensured through section headings and bullet points used to present

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 each point (The Joint Commission, 2020). Additionally, the information is also supported by current evidence on medication errors. Donaldson et al. (2017) reveal that “written communication, medication procedures, the working environment, training, and education” remain the main challenges for medication errors (p. 1680). The brochure handles communication, procedures, and patient education. The brochure is useful for every patient who will receive any form of medication. It is also useful specifically for patients in the hospital environment. This brochure improves safety by enabling patients to participate in error reduction. Evidence Review and Application The article by Donaldson et al. (2017) is a recent peer-reviewed journal article. It is useful specifically for this patient safety issue because it reviews the stance of World Health Organization (WHO) on medication errors. It also presents credible findings on the current rates of errors and efforts to reduce them. Therefore, it is appropriate for the topic of medication errors and useful in understanding the important factors to consider for patient education. Conclusion The Speak Up brochure on medication errors guides patients on the relevant steps to take to reduce risk of errors. It guides patients on holding healthcare workers accountable and asking questions to improve clarity of prescriptions. This brochure is useful for all patients who take a medication prescription whether in or out of the health center. Following the information on the brochure helps the patient to be more informed about their medications. The article can be used by patients in any setting to increase their knowledge of medications and improve procedures and administration safety.

5 References Donaldson, L. J., Kelley, E. T., Dhingra-Kumar, N., Kieny, M. P., & Sheikh, A. (2017). Medication without harm: WHO's third global patient safety challenge. The Lancet , 389 (10080), 1680-1681. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31047-4 The Joint Commission. (2020, May 15). Preventing medicine errors: Help avoid mistakes with your medicine [Brochure]. https://www.jointcommission.org/-/media/tjc/documents/resources/speak-up/ medicine_mistakes_brochure-5-15-2020.pdf? db=web&hash=2FB78984CEC726B76446E902A354AA8D&hash=2FB78984CEC726B 76446E902A354AA8D

answer_1 (50)

Related Documents