Technology Promises to Reduce Medication Errors in Nursing Homes

Technology to Help in Medication Times in Nursing HomesOne of the major issues impacting patients is medical malpractice involving medical errors. Every year, millions of patients receive the wrong medications. Patients can face increased risks when they receive the wrong medication in a nursing home facility. Often, nursing home patients are elderly and weak. They may have weakened immune systems that are unable to handle the wrong medication. In some cases, providing the wrong medication to patients can also have fatal results.

It is important that society address the multi-faceted types of abuse and neglect that nursing home residents now face. In addition to neglect or malnutrition, nursing home residents may suffer from adverse effects when a doctor prescribes the wrong medication. Researchers have attempted to find solutions to this issue in order to improve upon nursing home reform. As long as researchers remain committed to finding solutions to this form of medical malpractice, the care of nursing home patients may improve in the future.

The Development of MedEye

Two recent MIT graduates have developed MedEye as a solution to the issue of providing the wrong medication. MedEye is a medication-scanning system that that uses a special type of vision to go through the records of a patient. The vision technology scans the medication records of a patient to ensure that the pills match the records. Dutch researchers have discovered that 10 percent of all MedEye scans reveal medication errors in patient files. It seems that MedEye will improve upon medication verification in a drastic manner in the future.

Scanning Pills for Patients

The way in which MedEye functions is that the device physically scans pills that are placed in it. The device measures the pills that are placed on the tray. Nurses are able to quickly determine whether a patient has the right medication prescription.

The major obstacle that hospitals now face is the installation of MedEye and similar types of technology. The technology can be expensive, and hospitals need to be willing to make this investment. In the nursing home industry, it seems unlikely that facilities will be latching onto this new technology. Many nursing homes are driven by profits and fail to properly address the care that their patients require. It does not seem likely that nursing homes will be willing to invest significant funds in MedEye technology to provide the right type of care for patients.

Increasing the Efficiency of Nursing Homes

An argument can be made that MedEye technology may increase the efficiency of nursing homes. These facilities will no longer have to commit resources to handling lawsuits involving medical malpractice. Nursing homes will be able to potentially save millions of dollars by investing in the MedEye technology. Nursing home administrators should not automatically dismiss this technology as being too expensive.

When nursing homes are able to ensure that patients receive the proper medication with MedEye technology, they do not have to hire extra workers for the disbursement of medication. Nursing homes may need to use extra workers for the process of determining which medications patients should receive. With the MedEye technology, it is likely that nursing homes will not have to go through this laborious process.

Improving Nursing Home Care for the Future

Nursing homes need to remain committed to continually improving upon the type of care that they provide to workers. In recent years, nursing homes have been unable to improve upon rates of neglect and abuse. Millions of patients continue to be the victims or abuse and neglect in nursing homes. It is vital that society recognize the vulnerability of our elderly citizens and actively seek to protect them through the law.

Contact Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Today If You Loved One Has Suffered Harm Related To A Medication Error

Nursing home abuse lawyers are here to help your loved one. We believe in fighting for the legal rights of elderly citizens who have been abused or neglected in nursing homes. Don’t wait until the abuse worsens to get the legal help that you need.

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