Hospital Uses EMRs to Avoid Drug Errors

CMHI (and its computer system) is part of the state of Iowa Department of Human Services healthcare facilities, and because Severson is on the order entry team for that system, she has been able to share her new default process with the other institutions in the association.

"Only one other institution [in our statewide association] is Joint Commission surveyed," so it is unclear how many other, non-Joint Commission surveyed facilities in the system use the look-alike/sound-alike system, says Severson.

The important accomplishment, says Severson, is that staff are able to work comfortably with the system—and staff feedback has been very positive.

"The practitioners are very supportive, seeing that it is a Joint Commission safety goal," says Severson. "They thought it was a very good idea to have a separate way to identify the drugs than just in a book."