Enhancing patient safety with intelligent intravenous infusion devices: experience in a specialty cardiac hospital.

OBJECTIVE The study objective was to evaluate patient safety, increase nursing satisfaction, and affect economic factors through implementation of intelligent intravenous (IV) infusion devices in a specialty cardiac hospital. Intelligent IV infusion devices have been shown to decrease medication errors associated with inpatient infusions. METHODS Intelligent IV infusion device evaluation and drug library creation were conducted by a multidisciplinary team within the hospital. Devices were then implemented into patient care, and the impact was analyzed over a 9-month period. RESULTS Post-implementation data showed that compliance was approximately 100%. A total of 494 critical catches occurred over the study period, resulting in an estimated annual savings of $7,513,333. End-users became familiar with the new technology and recognized the increase in safety measures and time spent with patients. CONCLUSION This evaluation suggests that intelligent IV infusion devices resulted in decreased costs and a safer environment for patients.