HARMAN Digital Transformation Solutions
Published 02-21-24
Submitted by HARMAN
Originally published on HARMAN Insights
Medical errors pose substantial challenges including patient harm, healthcare system strain and potentially tragic loss of life. This white paper addresses the critical issue of medical errors within the healthcare industry and presents comprehensive strategies to mitigate these errors to help ensure safer and more effective patient care.
In this paper, we discuss:
By addressing all these areas, healthcare organizations, professionals and stakeholders can collaborate to enhance patient safety, restore trust and ultimately, save lives.
Current challenges: The toll of medical errors and patient harm
Medical errors remain a pervasive and critical concern within the healthcare industry. These errors lead to many adverse outcomes. Recent statistics reveal the gravity of the situation.
Fatalities
Medical errors are estimated to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with studies suggesting they claim hundreds of thousands of lives annually.
Financial impact
Medical errors result in substantial financial burdens on healthcare systems, contributing to increased healthcare costs and malpractice claims.
Patient confidence
Medical errors erode patient trust in healthcare systems, leading to reduced patient satisfaction and engagement in their care.
The role of healthcare in the cause and effect of medical errors
When healthcare, medical device and pharmaceutical companies create situations where errors are made, it can significantly impact patient outcomes. But a growing awareness of potential errors can help in addressing and preventing them.
Root causes of medical errors and examples
The occurrence of medical errors is often rooted in multiple factors, including complex healthcare systems, communication challenges and the pervasive issue of provider burnout. To proactively mitigate errors, medical companies require a comprehensive understanding of these underlying root causes.
Strategies to prevent medical errors
Continuous education and awareness campaigns are essential for both healthcare providers and patients to recognize and prevent errors. To that end, effective strategies include:
By integrating these strategies into healthcare systems, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of medical errors, improve patient outcomes and enhance the overall quality and safety of healthcare delivery.
How digitalization can help mitigate risks of medical errors and improve effectiveness
Healthcare
Solution: Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Solution Impact: This reduces the risk of miscommunication and errors due to incomplete or inaccurate
patient data.
Solution Recommendation: EHRs centralize patient information, making it accessible to authorized healthcare providers.
Solution: Remote Care
Solution Impact: Remote consultations and monitoring through remote care platforms. This not only increases accessibility to healthcare but also reduces the risk of errors associated with in-person visits, such as misdiagnoses or treatment delays.
Solution Recommendation: Enable continuous remote monitoring of patients, especially those with chronic conditions, to detect issues early and adjust treatment plans accordingly.
Solution: IoT for Real-time Monitoring
Solution Impact: Implement IoT-enabled wearable devices and sensors for continuous patient monitoring. These devices can track vital signs, glucose levels, medication adherence and more in real-time.
Solution Recommendation: Use IoT data to create early warning systems that alert healthcare providers to abnormal readings or patient non-compliance,
allowing for timely intervention.
Solution: Clinical Decision Support Systems
Solution Impact: Utilize data analytics and AI to assist healthcare providers in making accurate and evidence-based decisions.
Solution Recommendation: They can recommend appropriate treatments and identify potential issues, reducing diagnostic and treatment errors.
Solution: Patient Portals
Solution Impact: Empower individuals to actively participate in their healthcare through digital patient portals.
Solution Recommendation: Patients can review their medical records, medications and lab results for accuracy, and report any discrepancies to their healthcare providers.
Solution: Medication Adherence Solutions
Solution Impact: Develop medication adherence apps and platforms that provide patients with reminders, educational content and personalized medication schedules.
Solution Recommendation: Incorporate IoT-connected pill dispensers that track medication usage and send adherence data to both patients and healthcare providers.
Solution: AI/ML for Diagnosis and Treatment
Solution Impact: Utilize AI algorithms to analyze medical images, lab results and patient histories for more accurate and timely diagnoses.
Solution Recommendation: Implement ML models that can predict patient-specific risks and recommend personalized treatment plans, reducing the likelihood of prescription errors.
Solution: Digital Therapeutics
Solution Impact: Incorporate digital therapeutics into treatment plans for chronic conditions. These therapeutic interventions can include mobile apps, wearables and software programs that provide evidence-based treatments and interventions.
Solution Recommendation: Monitor patient progress through digital therapeutics and adjust treatment plans in real-time based on patient responses and outcomes.
Solution: Predictive Analytics
Solution Impact: Utilize AI-driven predictive analytics to identify patients at higher risk of medical errors, such as those with complex medication regimens or comorbidities.
Solution Recommendation: Implement personalized care plans and interventions for high-risk patients to reduce the chances of medication errors or treatment complications.
Medical Devices
Solution: Connected Medical Devices
Solution Impact: Transmit real-time data, through IoT-enabled medical devices, to healthcare providers, facilitating remote monitoring and early detection of issues.
Solution Recommendation: This connectivity enhances patient safety and reduces the risk of device-related errors.
Solution: Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA)
Solution Impact: Use barcodes to verify medications, helping ensure that patients receive the correct drugs and dosages.
Solution Recommendation: These systems significantly reduce medication errors in healthcare settings.
Solution: Quality Control and Maintenance
Solution Impact: Automate, through digital tools, quality control checks and maintenance schedules for medical devices.
Solution Recommendation: This reduces the risk of device malfunctions due to human error and ensures proper use and maintenance of medical devices to reduce errors. It's essential that users understand the devices they are using thoroughly.
Pharmaceuticals
Solution: Drug Safety Monitoring
Solution Impact: Track adverse drug reactions and safety data in real-time through digitalization.
Solution Recommendation: This proactive approach allows pharmaceutical companies to identify potential risks and take corrective actions promptly.
Solution: Supply Chain Transparency
Solution Impact: Enhance transparency, through blockchain, in pharmaceutical supply chains, reducing the risk of counterfeit medications entering the market.
Solution Recommendation: This allows patients to have greater confidence in the authenticity and safety of their medications.
Solution: Clinical Trials
Solution Impact: Streamline the management of clinical trials through digital, helping ensure data integrity and adherence to protocols.
Solution Recommendation: This reduces errors in the research and development phases of pharmaceutical products.
Solution: Interoperability
Solution Impact: Protect patient data with stringent and robust cybersecurity measures, especially as more healthcare processes become digital.
Solution Recommendation: Standardized data formats and interfaces are essential.
Solution: Data Security
Solution Impact: Strive for greater interoperability to help ensure seamless data sharing and communication.
Solution Recommendation: Regular security audits and training are necessary to safeguard against data breaches.
Solution: Regulatory Adaptation
Solution Impact: Adhere to clear regulatory guidelines and standards for digital healthcare, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
Solution Recommendation: This helps ensure patient safety and product efficacy.
Solution: Education and Training
Solution Impact: Build comprehensive training on digital tools and systems.
Solution Recommendation: When used effectively, these tools can prevent critical medical errors.
Solution: Patient Education
Solution Impact: Educate patients and caregivers on how to use digital tools and portals effectively and securely.
Solution Recommendation: A patient’s active participation is vital in reducing medical errors.
In conclusion
Mitigating medical errors necessitates a collective and proactive approach. The outlined strategies, encompassing education, standardized protocols, patient involvement and digitalization, offer a comprehensive roadmap for systemic improvement. The integration of technologies such as EHRs, remote care platforms and AI, including private large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, presents transformative opportunities to create a culture of continuous improvement and technological innovation.
Download: "Prescription for Safer Healthcare: Strategies to Mitigate Medical Errors" Whitepaper here.
Author
ALOK ANAND
Associate Director, Healthcare & Life Sciences
HARMAN Digital Transformation Solutions
Author
DR. PRIYANKA BARUA
Head of Quality
Leading Multi-speciality Hospital in India
ABOUT HARMAN
HARMAN International (harman.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co, LTD., designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.
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