Preview
Creation Date
10-2017
Description
The problems that can occur with paper vs. computerized medication reconciliation process include inaccurate, incomplete and possible medication interactions when new prescriptions are needed. We want to test the accuracy of the paper process vs. the computerized process to demonstrate the need for a streamlined process to occur between and amongst our departments. Patients coming into Preadmission who are having surgery in Chestnut Building are given a triplicate medication form to fill out along with a health questionnaire. In the event that a patient needs to enter the Baystate Health System (BHS) prior to their surgery visit, they would not have access to the paper list causing frustration to patients and duplication of data gathering. A review of the literature indicates that accurate medication reconciliation is a Joint Commission goal. There have been studies in ambulatory settings which show that entering medications into a computerized system at each physician’s office visit improves medication accuracy. During scheduled patient appointments, we seek to identify medication discrepancies in the electronic medical record (EMR) in patients who have had a recent (within 5 years) interaction (i.e., telephone interview, physician appointment, or emergency department visit) within BHS, compared to patients who have not had a greater than 5 years interaction with BHS. To gather data, the nurse will ask the patient when they had their last interaction with BHS. The medication record that is in the computer at the time of the interview will be printed and a copy of the triplicate form will be made. The information will be sorted into 2 folders: One will be the patients who have had in interaction within 5 years, and the other of patients who have not. Data will be compared on 100 patients to determine the accuracy of the medication record in the EMR.