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Infusion safety in specialty areas – it can be simpler!
Infusion safety in specialty areas – it can be simpler!
Ivenix
A recently published article in the Journal of Patient Safety highlights the complexities of medication delivery and drug library compliance within specialty areas such as hematology and oncology. In the article, the large tertiary care hospital that provides complex cancer care, including stem cell transplants, noticed lower compliance rates in those care areas than other care areas in the hospital. Among the issues identified were the large number of investigational drugs and expanded indications for already approved medications and new chemotherapy medications.
The Institution found that a lack of frequently used and new medications in the library and clinically irrelevant limits lead to workarounds and alert overload. Overall, delayed review and updating of the drug library led to the underutilization of dose error reduction software, placing already vulnerable patients at risk.
At Ivenix, we can help…
Streamlined Drug Library Maintenance
“A review of the hematology/oncology DERS library … was established by forming a multidisciplinary working group. This group consisted of hematology and oncology nurses, doctors, and pharmacists; DERS expert pharmacists; and vendor representatives. The multidisciplinary working group met 5 times between February and April 2018.”1
At Ivenix we think differently
To ensure efficient drug library maintenance, the Ivenix system includes collaborative tools that allow reviewers to evaluate and comment on drug library content from anywhere. Contributors can collaborate on the proposed changes and review the changes using a simulator within the library. The entire pump fleet is wirelessly updated with the change within a few short minutes. In areas that need periodic additions /edits, Ivenix is aligned with The Joint Commission and ISMP’s recommendations to allow frequent updates of drug library content.2,3
Ivenix recognizes that specialty areas such as oncology have different needs as compared to other departments. For example, the library allows for selective updating of a subset of the drug library, especially helpful if the hospital needs to update a specific area, such as a specialty setting. After deploying an update, the hospital no longer needs to collect pumps manually to keep pumps current. Instead, they just log in to a dashboard to inform them of any pumps without the latest updates. Also, drug library updates are done in the background and do not interrupt infusions. The impact of a clinician postponing the drug library update is eliminated, and hospital staff do not need to power cycle the pump.
Optimized Bedside DERS Utilization
“The addition of these medications to the current library was hindered by a lack of understanding of DERS by medical staff and a subsequent reluctance to engage in the existing governance process.”1
At Ivenix we think differently
On the pump, to enhance DERS utilization, clinicians are defaulted into the dose error reduction software (DERS). They are informed when operating outside of the safety net. This visibility maximizes safe delivery of medications and fluids. When a clinician is programming an infusion, limits are displayed on a color-conscious screen that changes from green, yellow, or red based on the value entered. This interactive experience provides immediate feedback that an entry is or is not compliant even before they are presented with an alert. If a clinician overrides an alert, there is awareness providing constant notification of an infusion running outside the drug library values. In addition, an Infusions Dashboard displays the same such that other members of the care team will have infusion visibility. Ivenix believes in informed care to all members minimizing risk to the patient and allowing for near real-time intervention if needed.
Simplified User Interface
Poor usability of pump interfaces leads to clinician workarounds out of frustration or to minimize the number of programming steps or alerts. In the Ivenix system, workarounds are deterred by providing clinicians a simple user interface with minimal steps and consistent workflows. The usability of the Ivenix Infusion System has received industry recognition as demonstrated by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) 18th Annual Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award.
Comprehensive Data for CQI
“To meet the needs of a health care system where medications and therapies evolve frequently, medication libraries require ongoing maintenance in addition to regular CQI report review.”1
At Ivenix we think differently
Ivenix recognizes that continuous quality improvement is fundamental to any institutional use of smart pumps. Ivenix collates all the infusion data, and this information is available for retrospective review through the collected infusion data. For example, the Ivenix pump allows clinicians to enter drug names programmed via a basic infusion or drug calculator and the names are viewable for retrospective data review. This data transparency ensures hospitals know all the alerts and compliance rates, to further fine-tune the drug library, which is easily updated. This efficient process and availability of tools enhances the libraries, reducing alert overload. Clinicians can have increased faith in using the dose error reduction software.
For more information on how we can help you reach your
medication safety best-practice goals, drop us a line.
1. J. Misko, M. Rawlins, B. Ridley. Impact of a Review of a Smart Infusion Pump Library in Hematology/Oncology: Tailoring Content to Meet Specialty Needs. J Patient Safety. 2021
2. The Joint Commission. Optimizing Smart Infusion Pump Safety with DERS. Sentinel Event Alert. 4-14; 2021; Issue 63
3. Institute for Safe Medication Practices. Guidelines for optimizing safe implementation and use of smart infusion pumps. 2020
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