title: Interventions to reduce pediatric medication errors: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Medication errors cause appreciable morbidity and mortality in children. The objective was to determine the effectiveness of interventions to reduce pediatric medication errors, identify gaps in the literature, and perform meta-analyses on comparable studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relevant studies were identified from searches of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing Allied Health Literature and previous systematic reviews. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed original data in any language testing an intervention to reduce medication errors in children. Abstract and full-text article review were conducted by 2 independent authors with sequential data extraction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 274 full-text articles were reviewed and 63 were included. Only 1% of studies were conducted at community hospitals, 11% were conducted in ambulatory populations, 10% reported preventable adverse drug events, 10% examined administering errors, 3% examined dispensing errors, and none reported cost-effectiveness data, suggesting persistent research gaps. Variation existed in the methods, definitions, outcomes, and rate denominators for all studies; and many showed an appreciable risk of bias. Although 26 studies (41%) involved computerized provider order entry, a meta-analysis was not performed because of methodologic heterogeneity. Studies of computerized provider order entry with clinical decision support compared with studies without clinical decision support reported a 36% to 87% reduction in prescribing errors; studies of preprinted order sheets revealed a 27% to 82% reduction in prescribing errors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric medication errors can be reduced, although our understanding of optimal interventions remains hampered. Research should focus on understudied areas, use standardized definitions and outcomes, and evaluate cost-effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, New York; mrinke@montefiore.org.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rinke
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina;
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Bundy
authors.affiliation: Departments of Emergency Medicine.
authors.forename: Christina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Velasquez
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, and.
authors.forename: Sandesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco East Bay, Oakland, California; and.
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zerhouni
authors.affiliation: Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lobner
authors.affiliation: Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Jaime F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Blanck
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland;
authors.forename: Marlene R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical; D006801:Humans; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: computerized physician order entry; intervention; medication error; pediatric; systematic review