The Impact Of Electronic Medication Administration Records (e-MAR) On Medication Administration Safety And Nurses' Work
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$735,675.00
Summary
The demands on health systems, both nationally and internationally, are growing, exacerbated by an ageing population and health workforce shortages. The incorporation of information technology into new health care delivery models promises both improvements in the safety and efficiency of care delivery. Medication errors are one of the most significant safety issues for health care systems. Medication management occupies a significant amount of nurses' time, and is also fraught with error potenti ....The demands on health systems, both nationally and internationally, are growing, exacerbated by an ageing population and health workforce shortages. The incorporation of information technology into new health care delivery models promises both improvements in the safety and efficiency of care delivery. Medication errors are one of the most significant safety issues for health care systems. Medication management occupies a significant amount of nurses' time, and is also fraught with error potential. One-third of all medication errors that cause patient harm arise from medication administration errors (MAEs). Electronic medication administration records (e-MARs) provide the potential to make the administration of medications safer for patients by reducing error rates, and also by allowing nurses to more efficiently manage medication tasks. However there is very limited research from Australia or overseas which has examined whether they computerised system work and in fact reduce error rates or save nurses time. In this project we will conduct prospective, controlled observational studies to determine the effectiveness of an electronic medication administration record (e-MAR) to reduce MAEs and the amount of time nurses spend in the medication administration process. The project will apply innovative data collection tools using PDA software purpose-built for these studies which have undergone extensive pilot testing in clinical settings. The results will have important implications for hospitals across Australia and internationally as they consider the implementation of e-MARs. This research will provide the first comprehensive data of medication administration errors in Australia against which future preventative error strategies can be evaluated. The results will provide the evidence needed to develop recommendations about how to reduce MAEs and improve the design of e-MARs.Read moreRead less
An Investigation Into The Efficacy Of Medication Warnings About Driving
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$47,427.00
Summary
It is recognised that the impairing effects of psychotropic medications can have harmful effects on traffic safety, particularly in the case of sleep medications such as benzodiazepines, however the effectiveness of these labels is largely unknown. The PhD will evaluate two approaches to medication warnings used in Australia and France. Results will inform patient care and prescribing advice and labelling, and could support the adoption of the model European labelling.
Improving Medication Safety In Seniors: A Cross-Jurisdictional Linkage Project
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$636,717.00
Summary
The project will identify priorities for tackling the current epidemic of hospitalisation of Australians aged 65+ years due to side effects of their medications. Two different groups of medications will be investigated. The first will be the prescribed drugs most often recorded as causes of hospital stay, including those taken to stop blood clotting, for high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, for rheumatism or strong pain relief, anti-cancer drugs and steroids. The study will exa ....The project will identify priorities for tackling the current epidemic of hospitalisation of Australians aged 65+ years due to side effects of their medications. Two different groups of medications will be investigated. The first will be the prescribed drugs most often recorded as causes of hospital stay, including those taken to stop blood clotting, for high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, for rheumatism or strong pain relief, anti-cancer drugs and steroids. The study will examine which of these drugs taken under what circumstances has the highest risk, so prevention can be better targeted. The study will investigate if adequate laboratory monitoring of the anti- clotting drugs is taking place and whether the guidelines should be updated. The second group will be 68 medications that should be avoided in seniors according to an international expert panel. The research will see how often these 'inappropriate medications' are still prescribed in the Australian setting, and the size of their contributions to unplanned hospital stays. The researchers suspect that this problem is much larger than immediately apparent from routine statistics, because many of the side effects of inappropriate medications are non-specific, such as confusion, drowsiness or difficulty standing up, thus putting seniors at risk of falls and neglect of other aspects of their health. The study will use a unique and new Australian research facility, which has brought together health data on the entire population of WA from both the State and Commonwealth levels, including information on pharmaceuticals, Medicare use, hospital stays and deaths. The facility works in such a way as to preserve patient and GP privacy. A strong feature of this research will be the degree of involvement of a representative and voluntary group of older Australian patients who attend GP clinics, and the GPs themselves, in advising the researchers on what's important to consumers and GPs.Read moreRead less
Cognitive Pharmaceutical Services To Mental Health Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$88,473.00
Summary
It is estimated that more than 450 million people are suffering from a mental illness at any one time. Medications are the main method of treatment for people with mental illnesses. The types of medications used for mental illnesses are commonly associated with side effects and high rates of discontinuation. The aim of this research is to develop a pharmacy management service, in conjunction with other health care professionals, to help patients and their carers to manage their medications.
A Long-Lasting Oral Drug Delivery System Using Spiky Silica Nanoparticles
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
This project aims to develop a novel silica nanoparticle-based delivery system for long-lasting oral drug delivery. The particles will be engineered with a spiky morphology that will increase adhesion to the gastrointestinal tract enabling sustained drug release for days or even weeks. Longer lasting oral drug formulations would make it much easier for patients to adhere to the treatment schedules required in chronic diseases like HIV and increase the effectiveness of therapy.
Ongoing Prospective Audit Using High Quality Data And Database Linkage To Improve The Outcomes Of Macular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$843,237.00
Summary
FRB! is a national collaboration of retinal research centres that will collect data during the usual patient consultation. We will track the risks and benefits of the new treatments for macular disease which will inform the development of evidence based clinical management guidelines to assist the clinician to deliver the most appropriate treatment in the safest, most cost effective manner. We aim to support this with information from linked population health databases.
Improving Medicine Adherence In Kidney Transplantation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$265,953.00
Summary
More people require kidney transplants which are in short supply. Poor adherence to prescribed medicines risks kidney transplant rejection and increased morbidity. This project will develop and test a program to help adults requiring a kidney transplant to take their medicines as prescribed. Better medicine adherence results in improved graft life, general well-being, and reduced health care costs. Our industry partners share this vision of improved health for kidney transplant patients.