Supervisors info:
Θεοδούλα Αδαμακίδου, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΠΑΔΑ
Αθηνά Καλοκαιρινού, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Βενετία Βελονάκη, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Medication errors constitute a category of iatrogenic mistakes, which exhibit distinct characteristics in home healthcare due to factors associated with the home care environment. Studies analyzing medication errors in the home healthcare setting appear to be relatively limited compared to other clinical environments.
Objective: The systematic review aimed to investigate medication errors occurring in home healthcare. Specifically, the study examined the frequency of medication errors in home healthcare, the risk factors associated with the occurrence of such errors, their types, their impact on the patient, and, finally, potential solutions to mitigate the phenomenon in the home healthcare environment.
Methodology: For the purposes of the research, a search and collection of bibliographic sources were conducted through the international database source, PubMed, utilizing both primary and secondary search methods. The systematic search for articles covered the time frame from 2003 to 2023 and was carried out in accordance with the recommended guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA analysis).
Results: A total of 10 bibliographic sources met the search criteria. The critical analysis of the literature revealed that the rate of medication errors in home healthcare ranges between 22-47%. These errors involved all parties included in providing home healthcare, with the most common types being incorrect dosage, missed doses, and incorrect timing of administration. Causes of medication errors in home healthcare included factors such as the lack of adequately trained personnel, inadequate communication between home healthcare nurses and attending physicians, difficulty in communication between healthcare professionals in home healthcare and the hospital where the patient was being treated, urgency due to excessive workload, understaffing, lack of a designated caregiver, and inadequate training of informal caregivers. Proposed measures to reduce medication errors in home healthcare include education and training of those involved, effective communication among healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients, and the utilization of technology.
Conclusions: The systematic review findings indicated elevated rates of medication errors in home healthcare and identified multiple factors associated with their occurrence. Further research is warranted, with an emphasis on developing protocols for medication management that should be tailored to the home healthcare environment. Additionally, the establishment of a unified reporting system is recommended, aiming to enhance the accurate documentation and management of medication errors in the context of home healthcare.
Keywords:
Μedication errors, Incorrect drug dosage, Home care, Home health care, Medical errors
