Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) in Ambulatory Pediatrics

Ambulatory Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) in Pediatrics

The purpose of this study is to determine the rates of medication errors in pediatric outpatients in 6 office practices. Further, we wish to determine the effectiveness of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system in reducing errors.

This study has the following 2 goals:

Aim 1: To determine the rates, types, and predictors of medication errors and ADEs.

Aim 2: To perform a trial assessing the effectiveness of an intervention (CPOE) on reducing serious medication errors.

We hypothesize that:

1. Medication errors and ADEs are frequent in ambulatory pediatrics.
2. Presence of the following predictors will be associated with higher error rates: cultural, racial, socioeconomic, educational, and linguistic barriers to communication, understanding, and successful completion of prescribed therapies; complex medical or chronic medical conditions; complex medication regimens; non-physician providers with limited clinical experience; high provider workloads; and complex prescription refill systems.
3. Prevention strategies, including both technology-based and behavioral/ human factors-based interventions, will be effective and cost-effective in reducing rates of serious medication errors (defined as preventable ADEs and non-intercepted potential ADEs).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pediatric providers at the participating office practices during the study period as well as the parents of the patients of these providers.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pediatric providers or patients at other office practices.