Improving Patient Safety by Reducing Medication Errors Where They Happen

I Pledge to be A–HERO is a training and implementation methodology that utilizes a scripted medication administration process to identify potential medication errors by the nurse or patient, thus preventing potential medication errors from reaching the patient.

Million

Estimated annual medication error occurrences in the U.S. (IOM, 2017)

Billion

Annual net cost of medication errors across all care settings (NCBI, 2021)

The Problem

Medication errors are a significant source of preventable morbidity and mortality among patients. The landmark research study To Err is Human, by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), estimated that as many as 98,000 patients die annually due to medication errors (IOM, 1999). Researchers estimated about 400,000 events annually with a net cost of $3.5 billion for medication errors during hospitalizations (IOM, 2006).

A decade and a half after this report, medication errors and patient safety continue to pose significant challenges for the nation’s healthcare system. A more recent report estimated medication errors injure 1.3 million people every year in the U.S. (WHO, 2017) and the total cost associated with medication errors now exceeds $21 billion each year (NCBI, 2021).

Despite sophisticated systems and safety technology, delivery of medications has become a task often failing to use the most important safety source, the patient.

The Solution

A-HERO is a training and implementation methodology design by Dr. Laurie Casale that utilizes a scripted medication administration process to identify potential medication errors by the nurse or patient.

Why It Works

Today’s complex healthcare environments can easily overwhelm nurses juggling multiple administrative tasks, dialogue with physicians, and even demands of patients’ families. These distractions increase the potential for medication errors.

A-HERO uses an innovative, patient-centric approach to decrease the likelihood of medication errors. Studies continue to show that when nurses are intentional and engaged during the medication pass, there is a direct correlation to positive, quality patient outcomes.

How It Works

A-Hero Implementation Toolkit and Service Offering

Program Overview

Orientation to ensure the success of your A-HERO project: This 1-hour interactive session led by your A-HERO nurse consultant will ensure that everyone is prepared and has their questions answered.

Train-The-Trainer Program & Courseware

Everything needed to train your project leader for successful implementation will be delivered during a 90-minute intensive training, along with videos and course content. The theory behind A-HERO, how to communicate the program to staff, collecting data, and publishing reports will all be covered.

A-HERO Communications Package

You will want to communicate to your staff and patients that nurses are A-HERO certified. All program materials are included in this package, such as co-branded badges, lanyards, and display posters.

Data Collection Consultation

Gathering data during the implementation is essential to establishing the efficacy of the A-HERO methods. You will have access to data collection sheets and pre-built spreadsheets for modeling your data. Your nurse consultant is available to assist with data collection and analysis.

Quantitative Analysis & Reporting

Once implementation is complete, you will have access to the A-HERO reporting templates to facilitate the communication of results to key stakeholders in your organization.