Authors (including presenting author) :
Leung BST (1), Au DYS (1), Ho HWT (1), Leung YCM (1), Tsai CPC (1), Yiu KC (1), Au TWC (1), Kwok TC (1), Loi HWF (1), Chan JKY (1), Pang JYW (1), Cheung NT (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Information Technology and Health Informatics Division (IT&HI), Hospital Authority Head Office (HAHO)
Introduction :
The medication administration is a complex process that requires careful consideration of various factors to ensure patient safety and effective treatment. Timely access to patients’ vital signs and laboratory results are crucial for making informed medication decisions. The In-Patient Medication Order Entry (IPMOE) system, developed by the Hospital Authority, seeks to enhance medication safety across 43 public hospitals in Hong Kong, which recorded approximately 8.75 million inpatient days in 2023/24. This in-house application supports prescription, dispensing, and administration processes, and now includes a feature that integrates laboratory results and vital signs into the drug administration module.
Objectives :
During drug administration, nurses check the prescriptions on IPMOE while reviewing vital signs and lab results across different applications. The aim of this initiative is to enhance the drug administration process by integrating real-time access to vital signs and laboratory results within the IPMOE system.
Methodology :
Collaboration with Clinical Experts for Key Data Identification
- Essential vital signs and laboratory data are identified for safe drug administration.
- Develop an Intuitive user interface for nurses to access vital sign charts and lab reports on-demand
Real-time Data Retrieval
- Ensure real-time retrieval with established data pipeline
- Develop a framework which integrate data into the drug administration module
Result & Outcome :
The incorporation of real-time data retrieval for laboratory results and vital signs into the IPMOE system streamlined the medication administration process, considering the 180,000 daily transactions. This integration is anticipated to decrease application-switching time by 500 hours each day, resulting in an estimated annual savings equivalent to 87 Full-Time Employees. With comprehensive data readily available, quicker assessments and more efficient medication rounds are expected.
Integrating data into the administration module enhance nurses' decision-making processes. This integration will improve clinical workflows by giving them instant access to crucial patient information. This streamlined access enables nurses to swiftly review vital signs, lab results, and medication orders without the need to toggle between different applications.
