Authors

Roser Terradas Robledo1, Cristina Campà Bosch2, Mercè Comas Serrano3, Stefanie Suclupe2, Carlos Gómez García4, Ignacia Chércoles López2, Alicia Hernández García2, Dolors Giró Formatger2, Laia Lacueva Pérez2

Position

1Doctor (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). Servicio de Metodología y Calidad en cuidados enfermeros. Hospital del Mar. Barcelona (España). IMIM Grupo de investigación en Epidemiología y Evaluación 2Máster en Enfermería. Servicio de Metodología y Calidad en cuidados enfermeros. Hospital del Mar. Barcelona (España)3Doctor (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya). Servicio de Epidemiología y Evaluación. Hospital del Mar. Barcelona (España). Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud (RICAPPS). Barcelona (España)4Graduado en Enfermería. Servicio de Metodología y Calidad en cuidados enfermeros. Hospital del Mar. Barcelona (España)

Contact address

Cristina Campà Bosch. Hospital del Mar. Passeig Marítim, 13-17. 08003 Barcelona (España).

Contact email: ccampa@psmar.cat

Abstract

Objective: to assess the effectiveness of the warning vest upon the reduction of interruptions during the medication preparation and administration rounds in the hospital setting, and to collect the experiences of Nursing professionals regarding this.
Method: a quasi-experimental pre-and-post intervention study without control arm. The intervention consisted in giving information to the healthcare staff, patients and relatives, about the importance of not interrupting the medication process, as well as placing informative posters in the units, and implementing one-single-use vests to make this activity visible. Data were collected through direct observation pre-and-post intervention in four hospitalization units during medication rounds. Additionally, an opinion survey was conducted among participants.
Results: in the pre-intervention period, 29 professionals were observed during 29.2 hours. There were 516 interruptions, one every 3.23 (SD:1.18) minutes. In the post-intervention period, 26 professionals were observed during 19 hours, and there were 210 interruptions, one every 5.26 (SD: 3.44) minutes as mean (p= 0.001). Of these professionals, 58.8% believed that this was not an effective measure for reducing interruptions, 61.8% thought that patients / relatives did not understand the measure well, and 11.5% suggested looking for measures which were more ecological.
Conclusions: vests reduced the number of interruptions and increased the time between them, even though this continued being significant. Added on to the low satisfaction by professionals and its environmental impact, this entailed the rejection of warning vests as an effective measure for the reduction of interruptions during the medication process.

Keywords:

safety; patient safety; medication errors; pharmaceutical preparations; interruptions; drug-related side effects and adverse reactions; nursing staff; hospital; hospitalization

Versión en Español

Título:

Efectividad de una intervención hospitalaria para disminuir interrupciones durante la preparación y administración de medicación