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First in State With New Cancer Drug
Safety System
Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin recently became the first healthcare facility in Wisconsin to install IntelliDose®, an electronic chemotherapy order system that protects patients against medical errors. The system uses automated treatment planning tools and electronic communication to standardize and safeguard the drug ordering process.
No Room for Error
“There is no room for error when you are figuring out chemotherapy for cancer patients,” says Becki Stein, RN, APNP. “The therapeutic index between help and harm is extremely narrow.”
Just how narrow became clear in 1994, when a misplaced decimal point led to a fatal drug overdose at a leading Massachusetts medical center. Part of the blame lay with the traditional “pen and paper” ordering system, which presents several opportunities for error. In the aftermath of the tragedy, a team of oncologists and others began exploring ways to guard against chemotherapy mistakes. The result was IntelliDose.
Paperless SystemIntelliDose does away with paper altogether. Instead, physicians order chemotherapy drugs using a computer planning system. The system stores hundreds of treatment regimens doctors can personalize using drop-down menus. It ensures all orders stay within defined safety parameters and flags potential problems, including possible drug interactions.
Caregivers at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin say IntelliDose improves communication. For doctors, the system aids decision making by bringing all pertinent information — patient stats, clinical notes and lab results — together in one place. For nurses, IntelliDose ensures all drug orders are up-to-date and consolidated. It also eliminates mistakes that can occur when interpreting handwriting or working with similar-sounding drugs. IntelliDose even provides the treating nurse with step-by-step instructions for administering cancer drugs, sedatives, nausea medications and fluids.
All About ProtectionFroedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin installed IntelliDose in June. Kristin Knackert, RN says IntelliDose makes sense even for a hospital with a solid safety record. “Why wait for a major error to occur,” she says, “if there is a way to prevent it before it happens?”
James Wade, MD, MPH, a Medical College of Wisconsin medical/oncologist and chief of Neoplastic Diseases and Related Disorders, says IntelliDose provides a powerful layer of protection for people undergoing chemotherapy at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin. “Safety — that’s what IntelliDose is about for patients,” he says. William Petasnick, president and CEO of Froedtert Hospital, calls IntelliDose a major step forward in healthcare quality. “The new IntelliDose system gives cancer patients at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin the highest level of protection,” he says. “It’s part of our commitment to providing the people who count on us with the best medical care available.”
Source: Froedtert Today Date: November 2004 |