Lemer, Claire; (2007) An Examination of the Role of Communication in Paediatric Medication Errors. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D.), University College London (United Kingdom).

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Abstract

This thesis examines the varied roles that communication plays within paediatric medication safety. This is a complex area, because it is such a new field, and because communication is at the heart of every part of this research area. Communication is the cause of many errors and is the key to resolving such incidents. My thesis relies on three new pieces of research. Firstly, an examination of the US and UK medication systems. My research examined how each system works and associated problems, and looked at how solutions could be developed, and turned into policy in the UK- how to maximize benefit through clear communication. The second is a secondary analysis of data from a multi-centre trial carried out in Boston, Massachusetts where I examined the link between the prescribing advice provided to parents and the likelihood of errors occurring during the home administration process. My data suggest no such apparent link, but do find that the advice given is inadequate and parents want more. To my knowledge, this has not been studied previously. My final piece of research is an attempt to look at how the public opinion is formed on paediatric medication safety. Patient safety is not an area of erudite study; each error has repercussions for real individuals. Only if the developments and new thinking patterns are communicated to the public can we hope to change the public mentality and achieve truly safer systems, moving away from a culture of blame to one of safety. This research identified that newspapers covered a wide range of themes including research findings and did so fairly, more often framed in a culture of safety rather than blame. This thesis shows how fundamental communication is the rapidly emerging area of patient safety and in particular paediatric medication safety.

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