RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Are verbal orders a threat to patient safety?
JF Quality and Safety in Health Care
JO Qual Saf Health Care
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 165
OP 168
DO 10.1136/qshc.2009.034041
VO 18
IS 3
A1 D S Wakefield
A1 B J Wakefield
YR 2009
UL http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/18/3/165.abstract
AB Background: The use of verbal orders has been identified as a potential contributor to poor quality and less safe care. As a result, many organisations have encouraged changing the verbal orders process and/or reducing/eliminating verbal orders altogether (Joint Commission (2005), Institute of Medicine (2001), Leapfrog organisation, Institute of Safe Medication Practices). Ironically there is a paucity of research evidence to support the widespread concern over verbal order.Aims: This paper describes the very limited existing research on verbal orders, presents a model of verbal order use identifying potential error trigger points and suggests a verbal order research agenda in order to better understand the nature and extent of the potential patient care safety threat posed by verbal orders.