Evaluating the Effectiveness of Risk Management Program in Reducing Medication Error in Children Hospital

Abstract

Background:Risk management aims to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks through systemic interventions, staff education, and the integration of technology. By fostering a culture of safety, these programs contribute to better patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.
Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of a risk management program on the frequency of the medication errors at children hospital in Saudi Arabia.
Methods:The study will use a quasi-experimental design to evaluate a risk management program aimed at reducing medication errors among nursing staff in a pediatric hospital. The study population will consist of 100 full-time nurses. Data will be collected using a self-report survey and an observational checklist to assess medication errors and documentation practices. Statistical analysis will be conducted using SPSS to compare pre- and post-intervention results with paired t-tests and Chi-square tests.
Results:The study compared an intervention group that received a risk management protocol with a comparison group that did not. The intervention group demonstrated a significant reduction in medication errors, with their post-test scores improving from 33.43 to 37.69 (p < 0.001). In contrast, the comparison group showed no significant change, with scores improving marginally from 32.08 to 33.87 (p = 0.312). Key findings included that 71.69% of participants identified immediate reporting as the best response to errors, while 91.57% believed errors were preventable through improved training and communication. The most common error found in the stages of medication management include incorrect dosage. Procedural and systematic approaches for instance check-lists were established as suitable means of intervention. Overall the findings stress on the need to have specific risk management plans especially in the environment where high risks are involved; staff training and understanding of risks, errors, and the overall culture of error reporting all these in the pursuit of optimal safety for pediatric medication administration. Hence, these results suggest that structured interventions should be implemented to reduce risk factors.
Conclusion:In conclusion, the present study showed that the risk management protocol minimizes medication errors in the intervention group. Therefore, the systematic intervention, staff education, and strong error- reporting tools are effective measures to minimize medication errors. The results of the current study provide evidence for targeted risk management interventions to strengthen medication safety and safety culture in pediatrics.