The demand for exceptional health care is stronger than ever. Patients are more selective of their providers now, and competition is rising as meaningful use requirements are implemented. And now for the first time ever, patients can literally see how their care is safer. They watch their care givers document their medicine, confirm they are the correct patient and can even find their test results at home online. Maybe that isn’t true everywhere, but it is at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

In 2009, more than a dozen software systems were implemented, including computerized provider order entry. But the best year was 2010 when the hospital went live with Knowledge Based Medication Administration (KBMA) commonly known as bar coding. Patients wear a wrist band, but now that band as a bar code. Care givers scan the bar code and the medication to assure what Barnes-Jewish Hospital calls the “Six Rights of Medication Administration.”

• Right Patient
• Right Drug
• Right Dose
• Right Route
• Right Time
• Right Documentation

Since implementing KBMA, medication errors have been reduced. While observing the process during implementation, numerous near misses were identified including meds given at the wrong time, too many packets of meds given compared to the dose ordered, or not enough medication given to meet the order prescribed by the physician. KBMA improves patient safety and quality be recognizing medical errors through the six rights as well as preventing allergy and drug interactions.

For the first in the hospital’s history, 2010 introduced a complete provider order entry system. This saves time for our healthcare providers, allowing them more face-to-face time with patients. Care givers can scan quickly, and providers can access patient data from any location within the hospital.

Financially, patients and the providers benefit because these systems ensure that patients are billed for the correct medicine. The automated process virtually removed all inefficiencies that we previously suffered through when staff used paper to read prescriptions and bill patients.

Finally and most importantly, our patients are more satisfied. Of course the staff is happy with an automated and efficient process which improves our recruitment and retention programs. But when our patients are happy, our staff is happy. Patients can actually see their care giver scan their wristband. Patients can go home and log into our patient portal, MyBJC, and view their test results.

Through the advancement of technology, patients are more empowered and they are choosing Barnes-Jewish Hospital for more than just our ground-breaking procedures. They are choosing us because of our innovative technology that allows us to provide transparent and exceptional patient care.