When Carilion Roanoke (Va.) Memorial Hospital noticed a string of heparin therapy errors, the hospital implemented a pilot project that integrated improved electronic medical record documentation to try to mediate the problem, according to a Pharmacy Practice News report.
The pilot project included reviewing The Joint Commission's guidelines on using anticoagulants, revising education for nurses and pharmacists, observing infusion pumps and improving communication with laboratory and phlebotomy staff, in addition to improving EMR documentation.
After the project was implemented throughout the entire hospital, appropriate heparin dose administration increased from 83.8 percent to 93.9 percent, and EMR documentation of heparin dose administration increased from 77.1 percent to 93.9 percent, according to the report.
Since implementing the intervention, CRMH has not recorded a heparin-related error causing harm since June 2012, according to the report.
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