This post is continued on from my first blog post






ADM's (automated dispensing machines) or RDM's (robotic dispensing machines): 

Advantages

These machines are used to hold drugs at a location and dispense them only to a specific patient they can potentially reduce medical errors due to wrong dosage by 80%. They are used in conjunction with the bar-coding system. It cannot only avoid over dosage but under dosage also. Not only does it cut out human error but it gives pharmacists more time with patients to explain the medication. These machines keep track of the patient’s dosage and when used along with bar- coding systems, can cut out medical errors due to over/under dosage almost completely. These machines also keep track of pharmacy’s stock.

Disadvantages

Disadvantages can occur if the machine suddenly stops working and there is no access to medication. Patients could be waiting hours before machine is back up and running again also. Another disadvantage is that it can result in the decrease in employment due to the fact there will be less staff needed to administer drugs.

Tablet PC's:

Advantages

Tablet pc’s are portable and light. They contain everything a physician might need at their fingertips. A tablet pc can incorporate devices I previously mentioned such as electronic prescription, EMR’s and bar-coding. Doctors would be able to see MRI scans and x-rays via their tablet. Making the device a very time saving efficient tool.A tablet pc contains all the advantages of electronic prescription, EMR’s and bar-coding where and error is flagged instantly. So with the pc containing all three it overall reduces time needed to retrieve lab results, x-rays and blood tests by them being sent straight to the physicians pc, which for some patients time is essential.

Disadvantages

Implementing these systems into our healthcare society can be very costly for not just hardware but software required too. Training would also be a big factor as all staff would have to be familiar with the device. Similar to the disadvantages with EMR’s patients may find hospital visits depersonalised by the tablet pc.  

Medical errors are unavoidable with or without IT but I have found that IT can reduce medical errors in some circumstances up to 50% and over. The most beneficial, in my opinion, being electronic prescriptions, bar-coding and ADMs (automated dispensing machines). These not only reduce medical errors but they benefit the healthcare system in so many ways by giving doctors, nurse and pharmacists more time for patient care, creating more jobs in IT and saving resources in hospitals by eliminating unnecessary tests. I think if these simple systems were implemented into hospitals, clinics and pharmacies nationwide the reduction medical errors would be immense as the results show for themselves. The cost spent on implementing these systems would be minimal and would be offset by money saved on medication, unnecessary tests and in law suits etc. Medical errors can result in death which is such a serious thing and if an area such as IT reduces these errors so greatly it’s hard to understand why the process of implementing these systems in to healthcare system is so slow. IT reduces the mistakes that should not have been made in the first place therefore I strongly believe that these computerised systems should be brought into the healthcare sector with immediate effect!


References in comment box below