Do Smart Infusion Pumps Improve Medication Safety?
In an apparent medical device analog to the recent dust up about CPOE, this study confirms that its not what you have, its how you use it.
Rothschild, Keohane, et al., conclude that smart infusion pumps can detect intravenous medication errors and adverse drug events. However, “We found no measurable impact on the serious medication error rate, likely in part due to poor compliance. Although smart pumps have great promise, technological and nursing behavioral factors must be addressed if these pumps are to achieve their potential for improving medication safety.”
