title: Bar-code technology for documenting administration of large-volume intravenous solutions.
abstract: The failure to properly document dispensing, administration, charging, and crediting of large-volume plain i.v. solutions in a hospital, along with the potential for using bar-code technology to reduce documentation discrepancies, was investigated. Portable bar-code scanners and preprinted bar-code labels were employed to identify large-volume plain i.v. solutions administered on two selected nursing units of a 1000-bed, private, not-for-profit hospital. Inservice training sessions were conducted to instruct hospital personnel in the use of the scanning equipment. Comparisons of patient statements and medication administration records for large-volume plain i.v. solutions established the level of documentation errors in the study hospital. The causes of these errors were traced to three primary sources: (1) failure to document administration of a solution to a patient (38%), (2) failure to credit patients for i.v. solutions returned to the pharmacy (37%), and (3) administration of a solution to a patient other than the patient for whom the solution was dispensed (25%). Accountability for large-volume plain i.v. solution charges to patients was improved by 19% using bar-code technology. The pharmacy manager desiring to employ bar-code technology should determine convenient methods for applying bar-code labels to solutions and for scanning the bar codes, as well as provide programming that can compensate for erroneous scans.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Regional Medical Center at Memphis, TN.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Bass
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Eddlemon
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D004282:Documentation; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*