Medication reconciliation in nursing practice and healthcare quality

Nursing

Describe briefly your topic of interest (15 possible points):

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2013), medical reconciliation is "the process of comparing a patient's medication orders to all of the medications that the patient has been taking. This reconciliation is done to avoid medication errors such as omissions, duplications, dosing errors, or drug interactions." The process of medical reconciliation falls within the rubric of electronic medical records, which enable medical reconciliation. Medical reconciliation saves lives, improves the efficiency of hospital administration and of the healthcare team, and is simply necessary for providing quality of care.

#1 Database (or collection) (30 possible points):

Title of source:

"Electronic Health Record (HER)"

Location of source (URL): http://www.ihs.gov/ehr/index.cfm?module=medication_reconciliation

Owner or publisher:

Indian Health Service

The Indian Health Service (2013) offers an overview of what medical reconciliation is, and how it applies to both individual and community health. The research encompasses issues that pertain to minority communities. A collection of research compiled by a United States government organization provides reliable information and research on nursing topics that are related to not just the Native American community.

Explain how the source relates to your topic of interest:

Because of the broad focus of the Indian Health Service's collection of research, this source is valuable for research on medical reconciliation. Moreover, the source relates to the ways medical reconciliation is important for politically disenfranchised groups and the underinsured. It is important to understand the application of electronic medical records and medical reconciliation in diverse communities.

#2 Database (or collection) (30 possible points):

Title of source: PubMed

Location of source (URL): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=medical+reconciliation

Owner or publisher: Google

Google Scholar is not focused on medicine or health care. However, Google Scholar offers researchers a tool whereby compilations of databases can be accessed from one starting point. The database covers subjects ranging from literature and current events to nursing and education.

Explain how the source relates to your topic of interest:

Google Scholar is not ideal for in-depth research on nursing topics. However, it proves to be a good starting point for research. It is far superior at culling information from peer-reviewed sources than its more pedestrian parent, Google. Entering the search terms "medical reconciliation" yields a number of hits, which can be sorted according to date of publication. This makes Google Scholar easier to use than the more cumbersome scholarly databases.

#4 Database (or collection) (30 possible points):

Title of source: EBSCO

Location of source (URL): http://search.ebscohost.com/

Owner or publisher: EBSCO Industries

EBSCO is a private database collection that bars access to any but institutional paying members. As a result, it creates an aura of exclusivity and elitism that is anathema to the spirit of education and learning. EBSCO remains, however, a valuable research tool that is considered indispensible for locating research in peer-reviewed journals on any subject matter. When it comes to nursing and healthcare, EBSCO does a decent job. However, it can be difficult to use and has barriers to ease of use including the mandatory institutional access.

Explain how the source relates to your topic of interest:

EBSCO relates to medical reconciliation by providing access to the latest and greatest peer-reviewed articles on the subject. A search of the terms "medical reconciliation" yields a plethora of good hits, but it takes a long time to access the database.

#5 Database (or collection) (30 possible points):

Title of source: "Medical Reconciliation."

Location of source (URL): http://www.gbmc.org/body.cfm?id=617

Owner or publisher: Greater Baltimore Medical Center

The Greater Baltimore Medical Center offers a database of research on the topic of medical reconciliation and also other topics of interest to nurses and researchers. There are a number of links to external websites that also provide information on medical reconciliation. For example, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the Institutes for Healthcare Improvement, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices are all linked. These links provide the researcher with information on regulations related to the use of electronic medical records and mandatory medical reconciliation plans that may be in place at some institutions. Studying the regulatory environment is critical.

Explain how the source relates to your topic of interest:

Defining medical reconciliation as "an effective process to reduce errors and harm associated with loss of medication information as patient transfers throughout the care community and hospital," the Greater Baltimore Medical Center offers the researcher with a good starting point. Because the Great Baltimore Medical Center does link to regulatory agencies and accreditation organizations, this resource is invaluable when studying medical reconciliation.