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Assessing the state of safe medication practices using the ISMP Medication Safety Self Assessment for Hospitals: 2000 and 2011.
Vaida AJ, Lamis RL, Smetzer JL, et al. Assessing the State of Safe Medication Practices Using the ISMP Medication Safety Self Assessment ® for Hospitals: 2000 and 2011. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. 2016;40(2). doi:10.1016/s1553-7250(14)40007-2.
In 2000, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) introduced the Medication Safety Self Assessment, establishing a national baseline of hospitals' efforts to improve medication safety. This study evaluated progress over the past decade by repeating this voluntary survey in 2011. Nearly a quarter of all registered hospitals in the United States participated. Overall scores improved significantly compared with those in 2000. Computerized provider order entry implementation increased from 6% to 55% of hospitals. There were also advances in patient education and communication of drug orders. One of the largest changes was an 833% increase in scores related to safety culture. Despite these developments, the survey also reveals many areas for improvement, such as accurate documentation of important patient information. A prior AHRQ WebM&M interview with Michael Cohen, president of ISMP, discussed medication safety.
