Hawaii's Department of Health announced the launch of a new medication dosing system designed to enhance pediatric emergency care and create better patient outcomes, according to an April 21 news release.
Medication dosing errors in pediatric patients occur around 7.5 million times each year in the U.S., and between 14 and 31 percent of those instances may result in further harm or even death, research shows. Those cases are the impetus behind the state's new program that aims to decrease medication errors in children.
"EMS personnel will now have access to the latest lifesaving tools and techniques, ultimately leading to more lives saved," Alvin Bronstein, MD, chief of Emergency Medical Services Injury Prevention System Branch for the Hawaii Department of Health, said in a statement. "This unique initiative focuses on the special needs of sick and injured children and represents a significant milestone in the state's delivery of pre-hospital pediatric emergency care."
The new system rolls out in May as a mobile application for professionals and clinicians to quickly access medication dosing guidance for children in addition to documentation for a child's medication about doses given. The health department will begin training EMS technicians and paramedics on the system statewide once it launches to ensure better "care for children with greater accuracy and confidence."