Case Study: Massachusetts General Hospital Uses Smart Printers To Ensure Patient Safety

By Intermec

One of the most important safeguards to protect hospital patients from medication errors is the "Five Rights Check." Before administering any medication, the nurse or other caregiver performs checks to make sure the 1) right patient is receiving the 2) right medication in the 3) right dose by the 4) right route (e.g. oral, intravenous) at the 5) right time. One in five medications administered in U.S. hospitals is given in error because it does not meet at least one of these criteria, according to one study. Mistakes can cause complications, and sometimes lives. Hospitals could eliminate 50 percent of their medication administration errors by scanning bar codes at the point of care to positively identify patients, the medication they are about to receive, and match the information to a physician order, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).