Date of Conferral
2021
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Erica Gamble
Abstract
Medication errors result in patient harm, including deaths, costing American hospitals over $20 billion annually. The financial impact and reduced public confidence in safe patient care create a business problem for hospital leaders trying to contain costs, maintain a competitive edge, and sustain patient satisfaction. Grounded in the sociotechnical conceptual framework, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to identify strategies hospital leaders use to reduce costs caused by medication errors in hospitals. Data collection involved semistructured interviews with 10 hospital leaders from various high-reliability hospitals across the United States and a review of documents related to medication management policies, medication reporting, and medication error–related indicators. The themes derived from a thematic analysis included multilayered error prevention and a high-reliability approach, leadership support, open communication with feedback loops, sustaining a culture focused on error prevention, and patient partnerships. One key recommendation is that hospital healthcare leaders invest in a multilayer error high-reliability prevention program in their organization and cultivate a medication error reduction culture. The implications for positive social change include the potential to reduce costs to the healthcare system and families and improved patient quality of life.
Recommended Citation
Chobanuk, Janice Leah, "Strategies to Reduce Costs Caused by Medication Errors in US Hospitals" (2021). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 10570.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/10570
