Remote consults result in fewer med admin errors for rural EDs

Telehealth helps emergency department (ED) physicians in rural hospitals make fewer medication administration errors, according to research published in Pediatrics.

Researchers from the University of California-Davis Children's Hospital examined data on 234 children with serious illnesses or injuries who were seen at one of eight rural EDs in northern California from 2003 to 2009.

The ED physicians administered at least one medication to 72 percent of the children.

The rural ED physicians were less likely to make errors when administering medications when they used telemedicine to connect with a specialist. They made medication administration errors 3 percent of the time when using telemedicine to connect with a specialist; 11 percent of the time when consulting with a specialist by phone; and 13 percent of the time when not consulting with a specialist.

Researchers could not conclude whether fewer medication errors resulted in children having better care outcomes. They also were unable to report whether the medication errors happened before or after the specialist consultations.