Search results
- The use of shorthand in communication about medications is a common cause of medication error and adverse events. The use of abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations is a common practice in healthcare that is recognized as a risk to patient safety.
hqca.ca/resources-for-improvement/medication-safety/hazards-of-abbreviations-and-symbols/
People also ask
Are medical abbreviations causing medical errors?
What abbreviations cause medication errors?
Are medical abbreviations harmful?
Can medical abbreviations be misunderstood?
What happens if a medication abbreviation is incorrect?
Why is shorthand a common cause of medication error & adverse events?
May 22, 2023 · Identify examples of potential harm that can result from inappropriate medical abbreviations. Summarize the inappropriate use of medical abbreviations and highlight the role of the interprofessional team in avoiding acting on orders that are unclear due to the use of an abbreviation.
- Rayhan A. Tariq, Sandeep Sharma
- 2023/05/22
- 2018
- Abbreviations Causing Medical Errors
- Examples of Misinterpreted Scripts
- Do Not Use Lists
- Impact of Do Not Use Lists
- Recommendations
In 2007, researchers evaluated medication errors submitted to the United States Pharmacopeia MEDMARX, a national medical error reporting program that tracks medication errors across a number of hospitals and health systems in the United States. The study identified 30,000 abbreviation-related errors submitted from 2004 through 2006, which accounted...
Several real-world examples of handwritten orders that caused or came close to causing medical errors: Source: ISMP reports. Images modified by OpenMD for display clarity.
To address the issue of medical errors caused by abbreviations, several institutions have developed lists of abbreviations that should be explicitly avoided. Most notable among these are the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Do Not Use List and the Institute for Safe Medical Practices (ISMP) List of Error-Prone A...
Various studies have endeavored to estimate the frequency of error-prone abbreviations in medical orders. While the baseline frequency varied widely* by institution, all studies reported a significant decrease in the use of error-prone abbreviations following institutional education programs that included the distribution of Do Not Use lists.3-5 Re...
The safest way to use medical abbreviations is to use only those that are agreed upon by an institution. Some medical institutions publish a list of acceptable and unacceptable abbreviations that can be reviewed with all healthcare employees. Other institutions may solely stress that employees never use the abbreviations noted on the Joint Commissi...
The most common abbreviation resulting in a medication error was the use of “QD” in place of “once daily,” accounting for 43.1% of all errors, followed by “U” for units (13.1%), “cc” for “mL” (12.6%), “MSO4” or “MS” for “morphine sulfate” (9.7%), and decimal errors (3.7%).
- Luigi Brunetti, John P. Santell, Rodney W. Hicks
- 2007
Jul 13, 2023 · Explore the risks associated with inappropriate medical abbreviations in healthcare. Learn about the potential consequences and strategies to promote accurate and safe communication, ensuring patient safety and reducing the risk of errors.
Feb 12, 2024 · Unintentional medical errors will likely always occur. However, the risk of medical errors may be significantly reduced by encouraging error reporting, standardized communication systems, electronic data and order entry, medication reconciliations, and error prevention clinical care protocols.
- Thomas L. Rodziewicz, Benjamin Houseman, John E. Hipskind
- Michigan State University COM, Kaweah Health
- 2021
- 2024/02/12
The use of abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations is a common practice in healthcare that is recognized as a risk to patient safety. They can lead to misinterpretation of instructions if they have multiple meanings or if not understood by all healthcare providers.
Physicians can help reduce medication errors by writing legibly, avoiding verbal orders, and not using abbreviations. Reporting deficiencies in packaging, labeling, and presentation of drug products to manufacturers and the FDA may help prevent future errors. Physicians should support nonpunitive efforts to collect reports of medication errors.
