Eventos adversos aos medicamentos e erros de medicação são muito comuns na prática assistencial e podem ocorrer em qualquer etapa do processo da terapia medicamentosa, contribuindo com a ocorrência de iatrogenias nos pacientes devido ao uso incorreto dos medicamentos ou a sua omissão. Neste contexto, encontramse as prescrições médicas que têm papel ímpar na prevenção do erro, uma vez que prescrições ambíguas, ilegíveis ou incompletas podem contribuir com a ocorrência destes eventos. Esta investigação teve o propósito de analisar a redação de prescrições médicas em unidades de clínica médica de cinco hospitais Brasileiros, comparar os dados obtidos entre os hospitais e propor recomendações para a prevenção de futuros erros de medicação. Tratou-se de um estudo descritivo que utilizou de dados secundários obtidos de uma pesquisa multicêntrica realizada em 2005. A população foi composta por 1.425 medicamentos administrados em discordância com a prescrição. Deste total, a administração de medicamentos em horário diferente do prescrito foi o mais freqüente nos cinco hospitais investigados, correspondendo a 76,0%. A análise da redação da prescrição revelou que 93,6% continham siglas e/ou abreviaturas, 10,7% não apresentavam dados do paciente, 4,3% omitiram informações sobre o medicamento e 4,2% apresentavam alterações e/ou suspensão do medicamento. Com a implantação do sistema computadorizado de prescrições, associada à prática da educação continuada e permanente dos profissionais envolvidos no sistema de medicação será possível minimizar os danos causados aos pacientes hospitalizados decorrentes da administração de medicamentos e, consequentemente, melhorar a qualidade do cuidado prestado. / Adverse events related to medicines and medication errors are very common in the health care assistance and can occur at any stage of the medication process, contributing with the occurrence of iatrogenys in the patients due to the incorrect use of medicines or its omission. In this context, we find medical orders which has uneven role in the prevention of medication error, once ambiguous, unreadable or incomplete medication order may contribute with the occurrence of these events. This study had the intention to analyze the writing of medical orders at internal medicine units of five Brazilian hospitals, to compare data between these hospitals and to consider recommendations for the prevention of future medication errors. This descriptive study used secondary data from a multicentric research occurred in 2005. The population was composed of 1.425 medications given in discordance with the medical order. From this total, the medication administration at different schedule administration time was the most frequent error found at the five hospitals investigated, corresponding to 76.0%. The analysis of the writing of the medical order disclosed that 93.6% contained acronyms and/or abbreviations, 10.7% did not present any information about the patient, 4.3% had omitted information about the medicine and 4.2% presented alterations and/or suspension of the medicine. With the implantation of the computerized prescription order entry system, associate to the practice of continued and permanent education of the involved professionals in the system of medication it will be possible to minimize the damage caused to the patients in the hospital deriving from the administration of medicine and, therefore, improve the quality of the care given.

Eventos adversos aos medicamentos e erros de medicação são muito comuns na prática assistencial e podem ocorrer em qualquer etapa do processo da terapia medicamentosa, contribuindo com a ocorrência de iatrogenias nos pacientes devido ao uso incorreto dos medicamentos ou a sua omissão. Neste contexto, encontramse as prescrições médicas que têm papel ímpar na prevenção do erro, uma vez que prescrições ambíguas, ilegíveis ou incompletas podem contribuir com a ocorrência destes eventos. Esta investigação teve o propósito de analisar a redação de prescrições médicas em unidades de clínica médica de cinco hospitais Brasileiros, comparar os dados obtidos entre os hospitais e propor recomendações para a prevenção de futuros erros de medicação. Tratou-se de um estudo descritivo que utilizou de dados secundários obtidos de uma pesquisa multicêntrica realizada em 2005. A população foi composta por 1.425 medicamentos administrados em discordância com a prescrição. Deste total, a administração de medicamentos em horário diferente do prescrito foi o mais freqüente nos cinco hospitais investigados, correspondendo a 76,0%. A análise da redação da prescrição revelou que 93,6% continham siglas e/ou abreviaturas, 10,7% não apresentavam dados do paciente, 4,3% omitiram informações sobre o medicamento e 4,2% apresentavam alterações e/ou suspensão do medicamento. Com a implantação do sistema computadorizado de prescrições, associada à prática da educação continuada e permanente dos profissionais envolvidos no sistema de medicação será possível minimizar os danos causados aos pacientes hospitalizados decorrentes da administração de medicamentos e, consequentemente, melhorar a qualidade do cuidado prestado. / Adverse events related to medicines and medication errors are very common in the health care assistance and can occur at any stage of the medication process, contributing with the occurrence of iatrogenys in the patients due to the incorrect use of medicines or its omission. In this context, we find medical orders which has uneven role in the prevention of medication error, once ambiguous, unreadable or incomplete medication order may contribute with the occurrence of these events. This study had the intention to analyze the writing of medical orders at internal medicine units of five Brazilian hospitals, to compare data between these hospitals and to consider recommendations for the prevention of future medication errors. This descriptive study used secondary data from a multicentric research occurred in 2005. The population was composed of 1.425 medications given in discordance with the medical order. From this total, the medication administration at different schedule administration time was the most frequent error found at the five hospitals investigated, corresponding to 76.0%. The analysis of the writing of the medical order disclosed that 93.6% contained acronyms and/or abbreviations, 10.7% did not present any information about the patient, 4.3% had omitted information about the medicine and 4.2% presented alterations and/or suspension of the medicine. With the implantation of the computerized prescription order entry system, associate to the practice of continued and permanent education of the involved professionals in the system of medication it will be possible to minimize the damage caused to the patients in the hospital deriving from the administration of medicine and, therefore, improve the quality of the care given.

In the past three years, evidence based medicine emerged as a powerful force in an effort to improve quality and health outcomes, and to reduce cost of care. Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) applications brought safety and efficiency features to clinical settings, including ease of ordering medications via pre-defined sets. Order sets offer promise of standardized care beyond convenience features through evidence-based practices built upon a growing and powerful knowledge of clinical professionals to achieve potentially more consistent health outcomes with patients and to reduce frequency of medical errors, adverse drug effects, and unintended side effects during treatment. While order sets existed in paper form prior to the introduction of CPOE, their true potential was only unleashed with support of clinical informatics, at those healthcare facilities that installed CPOE systems and reap rewards of standardized care. Despite ongoing utilization of order sets at facilities that implemented CPOE, there is a lack of quantitative evidence behind their benefits. Comprehensive research into their impact requires a history of electronic medical records necessary to produce large population samples to achieve statistically significant results. The study, conducted at a large Midwest healthcare system consisting of several community and academic hospitals, was aimed at quantitatively analyzing benefits of the order sets applied to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) and treat pneumonia, congestive heart failure (CHF), and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) - testing hospital mortality, readmission, complications, and length of stay (LOS) as health outcomes. Results indicated reduction of acute VTE rates among non-surgical patients in the experimental group, while LOS and complications benefits were inconclusive. Pneumonia patients in the experimental group had lower mortality, readmissions, LOS, and complications rates. CHF patients benefited from order sets in terms of mortality and LOS, while there was no sufficient data to display results for readmissions and complications. Utilization of AMI order sets was insufficient to produce statistically significant results. Results will (1) empower health providers with evidence to justify implementation of order sets due to their effectiveness in driving improvements in health outcomes and efficiency of care and (2) provide researchers with new ideas to conduct health outcomes research.

No description available.