National Medication Safety Symposium

Creating safer systems

The future of e-medication management (eMM) systems in Australian hospitals.

New, world first research showing the impact of electronic medication management (eMM) systems on patient safety in children’s hospitals was presented at the National Medication Safety Symposium, held at Macquarie University on Wednesday 21 September 2022.

The NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce opened the event which included keynote addresses from patient safety expert, Professor Westbrook, and Dr Mark Simpson, eHealth NSW Chief Clinical Information Officer and Executive Director, Clinical Engagement and Patient Safety. Dr Mary McCaskill, Director of Medical Services and Clinical Governance at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, provided the closing address. Participating on a panel discussions was Mr Michael Dickinson, Director of Information, Communication and Technology/CIO, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.

Representatives from across the health sector nationally came together to engage with the latest evidence on how electronic systems support safer care.

The research is funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Project, led by Professor Johanna Westbrook, with partners Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and eHealth NSW.

All presentations from the symposium can be viewed on the links below.

Symposium program

Please see the full symposium program here.

Symposium presentations

Welcome	Dr George Margelis, Independent Chair, Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council
Welcome to Macquarie University	Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite, Founding Director, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University
Opening address	Ms Susan Pearce, Secretary, NSW Health
Keynote address: Assessing the effectiveness of eMM to improve medication safety	Professor Johanna Westbrook, Professor and Director, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Embedding Safety through Design in Digital Solutions	Dr Mark Simpson, eHealth NSW Chief Clinical Information Officer and Executive Director, Clinical Engagement and Patient Safety
Medication administration errors in paediatrics and the impact of eMM	Dr Magda Raban, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Does double-checking reduce medication administration errors?	Professor Johanna Westbrook, Professor and Director, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Measuring potential and actual harm from medication errors	Dr Virginia Mumford, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation Ms Erin Fitzpatrick, Research Officer, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Detection and incident reporting of prescribing errors by clinicians in paediatric hospitals after eMM	Associate Professor Ling Li, Associate Professor, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Technology-related prescribing errors in eMM	Dr Magda Raban, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation Ms Alison Merchant, Research Officer, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Panel discussion: National review of eMM implementation and optimisation	Chair: Dr George Margelis, Independent Chair, Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council Members: Mr Peter Barclay, Director of Pharmacy, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Professor Melissa Baysari, Professor of Human Factors, University of Sydney Dr Erica Tong, Chief Pharmacy Information Officer and Deputy Director of Pharmacy, Alfred Health Ms Jackie McLeod, Chief Operating Officer, The Royal Melbourne Hospital Mr Daniel Trajkov, Senior Program Manager, UnitingCare QLD Mr Jerry Yik, Head of Policy and Advocacy, The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia
Health Innovation Series – launch	Professor Johanna Westbrook, Professor and Director, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation Dr Magda Raban, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Assessing the economic value of medication safety interventions	Dr Virginia Mumford, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Serendipitous findings on medication safety in paediatrics	Paracetamol errors in paediatrics Dr Karla Seaman, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation Are nurses placing themselves in danger from crushing medication? Ms Amanda Woods, Nursing Research Officer, Australian Institute of Health Innovation What is the relationship between patient age and medication error rates? Dr Tim Badgery-Parker, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation
Panel discussion: Driving improvements in medication safety through partnerships	Chair: Joanna Holt, Formerly Chief Executive of Women’s and Children’s Health Australasia, Executive Director of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission; Chief Executive of NSW Kids and Families within NSW Health Mr Michael Dickinson, Director of Information, Communication and Technology/CIO, Sydney Children’s Hospital Network Dr Mark Simpson, eHealth NSW Chief Clinical Information Officer and Executive Director, Clinical Engagement and Patient Safety Ms Jo Root, Policy Director, Consumers Health Forum of Australia Dr Racha Dabliz, Senior Project Officer, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Mr Alan Gardo, Director of Nursing, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Ms Kate Richardson, Clinical Applications Specialist (eMeds), Northern Beaches Hospital
The future of safe care	Dr Mary McCaskill, Director of Medical Services and Clinical Governance, The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
Closing address	Professor Johanna Westbrook, Professor and Director, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation Dr George Margelis, Independent Chair, Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council

Highlights

The effectiveness of eMM to reduce prescribing and medication administration errors
Types of medication errors causing actual harm
Factors associated with medication errors (e.g. weekends versus weekdays)
Does double-checking reduce medication administration errors?
Tips for optimisation of eMM
Recommendations for work practices to reduce medication error

Keynote speakers and panelists:


Susan Pearce Secretary, NSW Health	Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite Founding Director, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University	Professor Johanna Westbrook Professor and Director, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University	Dr George Margelis Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council

Dr Magda Raban Senior Research Fellow Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University	Dr Virginia Mumford Senior Research Fellow Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University	Dr Tim Badgery-Parker Research Fellow Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University	Professor Melissa Baysari Digital Health Human Factors Research Group, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney

Dr Racha Dabliz Senior Project Officer Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare	Michael Dickinson Director of Information, Communication and Technology/CIO, Sydney Children’s Hospital Network	Erin Fitzpatrick Research Officer, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University	Alan Gardo Director of Nursing for the Children’s Hospital at Westmead

Joanna Holt Formerly Chief Executive of Women’s and Children’s Health Australasia, Executive Director of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, Chief Executive of NSW Kids and Families within NSW Health.	A/Professor Ling Li A/Professor Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University	Dr Mary McCaskill Director of Medical Services and Clinical Governance, The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network	Jackie McLeod Chief Operating Officer Royal Melbourne Hospital

Alison Merchant Pharmacist and Research Officer, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University	Kate Richardson Clinical Applications Specialist (eMeds), Northern Beaches Hospital	Jo Root Policy Director, Consumers Health Forum of Australia	Dr Karla Seaman Research Fellow Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University

Dr Mark Simpson eHealth NSW Chief Clinical Information Officer and Executive Director, Clinical Engagement and Patient Safety	Dr Erica Tong Chief Pharmacy Information Officer (CPIO) and Deputy Director of Pharmacy at Alfred Health	Daniel Trajkov Senior Program Manager, UnitingCare QLD	Amanda Woods Nursing Research Officer, Australian Institute of Health Innovation

Jerry Yik Head of Policy and Advocacy, The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia
More speaker information.

Please direct questions to chssr@mq.edu.au

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