Question

Analyze a Medication Administration workflow diagram. Then compare the Medication Administration workflow and the potential workflow using BC-MAR described at http://www.stratishealth.org/expertise/healthit/hospitals/htoolkit.html, under Section 2.2 Effective Use. What are your thoughts and conclusion on how the hospital can meet their strategic goal through the use of BC-MAR.

Answer 1

1.BC-MAR-Barcode Medical Administration provides safety medication administration.The bar coding can reduce medication errors.it also enhances an additional verification of five rights of drug administration.The patients wristband barcode is scanned with the BC-MAR code.All the steps of medication process is tracked electronically.This kind of technology can make huge difference in patients lives.It can reduce transcription,medication administration errors as well as drug-related side effects.But there are circumstances where nursses has to use clinical judgement.It is actually a time saver.In routine medication administration nurses used a variety of techniques such as bargaining,nagging and authoritative language to get patients to comply to medicine.

2.BC-MAR can be implemented in a health care setting through planning,training,problem resolution and go-live support.The work of nurses is multifaceted and they hve to juggle between documentation and giving care to the patients.So when a BC MAR has been implemented a disruption occurs in the daily routine ,but it is only a matter of the staff getting adapted to the new informatic system.The BC MAR system shows packages to the bin ,if it did not properly scan the messages,but the nurse can trouble shoot the problem,can issue the medicine .This definitely boosts up quality assurance.It uses a lot of email communications and shift reports which keeps everyone updated.It also help in resolving problems quickly.Another useful strategy was to go back to units already live on the system and identify problems that existed.