Health Informatics---bar coded medications Research Paper

Health Informatics---bar coded medications - Research Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to establish whether bar code technology achieves its intended purpose, which is to increase patient safety by reduction of medication errors. The most effective way of analyzing this is by studying real-life examples of institutions that have implemented the technology and measured their quality, workflow or inter-professional after implementation. This is what the paper will focus on in subsequent sections. Barcode medication is increasingly becoming common among several hospitals in the country. It is critical to examine its impact on nursing workflows. Nurses need to spend their time on patients’ direct care. Therefore, if medication administration is eating up most of their time, then it will be difficult for them to provide quality services. This paper will examine whether or not bar code medication has an effect on nursing workflow as well as quality of care in institutions. Perhaps the most critical issue in the analysis of this technology in medical administration is its impact on patient safety. Errors in the medical profession could lead to further complications in treatment; they may prevent patients from recovering as quickly as they might have if the right procedures were followed. Additionally, they may cause new conditions or diseases which harm patients. In essence, they may do the exact opposite of what hospitals intend to do to patients when they visit them. Errors increase healthcare costs to patients, insurance providers as well as institutions. The latter may lose their clientele owing to a tainted image or costly malpractice litigations. Most importantly, errors in administration of drugs could be lethal and may lead to the loss of life. This paper will contribute towards the minimization of medical errors in drug administration by looking at the effectiveness of one solution. Bar code technology