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Document Type
DNP - University Access Only
Award Date
2015
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Graduate Nursing
First Advisor
Nicole Gibson
Keywords
medication reconciliation, medication discrepancies, patient safety
Abstract
Medication safety is a critical element in providing safe, high quality, and effective healthcare. Medication discrepancies contribute to medication errors causing concern for patient safety. Effective medication reconciliation can reduce and help prevent medication discrepancies. In line with national recommendations, the purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized medication reconciliation process comprised of evidence-based strategies in decreasing medication discrepancies. A rural Midwestern community health center incorporated the evidence-based medication reconciliation process into established patient visits. Pre- and post-intervention data were collected via an electronic health record (EHR) chart review and participant telephone interviews. Data analysis revealed a decrease in the number of medication lists with discrepancies from 73% to 57%. The median number of medication discrepancies per participant decreased from three (mean=3.6) to one (mean=2.4). Additionally, increased age, number of medications, number of comorbidities, and female gender were significantly associated with an increased number of medication discrepancies. The project results confirm clinical significance with the documented reduction in medication discrepancies and identification of at-risk patients. Future recommendations should focus on improving patient safety via medication reconciliation. Effective medication reconciliation requires staff participation, patient engagement, and ongoing operational support to improve medication and patient safety. The knowledge gained from this project can be utilized in the future to improve healthcare team communication, enhance patient safety, and elevate the provision of high quality care in the outpatient setting.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Medication errors -- Prevention
Drugs -- Administration
South Dakota State University Research Project
Description
Includes bibliographical references (page 67-74)
Format
application/pdf
Number of Pages
105
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Recommended Citation
Albrecht, Amy M., "Implementation of a Standardized Medication Reconciliation Process to Decrease Medication Discrepancies in the Primary Care Setting" (2015). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practice Innovation Projects. 7.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/con_dnp/7