JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Although the various advantages of clinical information systems in intensive care units, such as intensive care information system (ICIS), have been reported, their role in preventing medical errors remains unclear.

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the changes in the incidence and type of errors in the intensive care unit (ICU) before and after ICIS implementation in a setting where a hospital electronic medical record system is already in use.

Methods:

An ICIS was introduced to the general ICU of a university hospital. After a step-by-step implementation lasting three months, the ICIS was used for all patients starting from April 2019. We performed a retrospective analysis of the errors in the ICU during the six-month period before and after ICIS implementation by using data from an incident reporting system, and the number, incidence rate, type, and patient outcome level of errors were determined.

Results:

From April to September 2018, 755 patients were admitted to the ICU, and 719 patients were admitted from April to September 2019. The number of errors was 153 in the 2018 study period and 71 in the 2019 study period. The error incidence rates in 2018 and 2019 were 54.1 (95% CI: 45.9–63.4) and 27.3 (95% CI: 21.3–34.4) events per 1000 patient-days, respectively (P < .001). During both periods, there were no significant changes in the composition of the types of errors (P = .16), and the most common type of error was medication error.

Conclusions:

ICIS implementation was temporally associated with a 50% reduction in the number and incidence rate of errors in the ICU. Although the most common type of error was medication error in both study periods, ICIS implementation significantly reduced the number and incidence rate of medication errors. Clinical Trial: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000041471, August 20, 2020)