Jul 10, 2008 4:19 pm US/Pacific
Kaiser Issues Bar Codes To Prevent Dosage Mistakes
PANORAMA CITY, Calif. (CBS) ―
-
-
A Kaiser Permanente facility in Panorama City will debut medication bar code scanning technology which medical officials hope will prevent dosage mistakes. (File)
CBS
A hospital in Panorama City today became the first Kaiser Permanente facility in Southern California to implement medication bar code scanning technology to ensure patients receive the correct medications.
"In addition to the multiple identification checks that we already have in place, medication bar code scanning increases safety for our patients," said Dennis Benton, executive director of Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center.
"When administering a medication, the medical professional will first be required to scan the patient's wristband so the bar code can be read by the bedside KP HealthConnect computer terminal to confirm the accuracy of the medication type and dosage," he said.
The initial phase of Kaiser Permanente's nationwide electronic medical records system, KP HealthConnect, "went live" in the Panorama City hospital last September, allowing physicians and staff to electronically admit, transfer and discharge patients.
With today's implementation of the final phase of KP HealthConnect, Panorama City physicians and staff will be working almost exclusively with electronic records.
This phase incorporates computerized physician order entry; access to electronic lab tests, X-rays, MRIs and other diagnostic imaging; clinical documentation; as well as the ability to schedule operating rooms, operating room equipment and room setup.
All Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California will be online with medication bar code scanning by the end of 2009, according to KP officials.
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center has been providing health care to area residents of the East San Fernando Valley since 1962, employing nearly 4,000 physicians and staff. Its new Panorama City hospital opened March 25.
A medication dosage mistake at another Southland hospital, which is not affiliated with Kaiser, brought attention to the issue several months ago.
In March, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles was fined $25,000 by the state for giving incorrect dosages of an anti-coagulant drug to three infants, including the newborn twins of actor Dennis Quaid and his wife.
A report by the California Department of Public Health found that Cedars-Sinai personnel failed to adhere to established policies and procedures for safe medication use, resulting in "preventable medication errors."
Quaid's then-10-day-old twins, Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, were given an overdose of Heparin last Nov. 18. According to Cedars-Sinai, a total of three patients mistakenly received doses of 10,000 units per milliliter instead of the normal dosage of 10 units.
The couple sued the manufacturer for alleged confusing labeling, but did not sue the hospital.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
