Three years of digital knowledge sharing on medication management

The article was first published in Dagens Medisin 15.09.23.

Health services are digitizing more and more systems in order to know at all times which medicines the patient should have. Digitization brings with it many challenges, as well as a need to share experiences and knowledge. For three years, the Norwegian Centre for E-health Research has hosted a digital meeting place where people can talk about both the joys and challenges of digital medication management.

The question of which medicines you take is so important to your treatment that it's the first thing you encounter on admission. The right medicine in the right dose and strength for the right patient at the right time is the goal we strive for. But who is responsible for ensuring that the medicines on the list are actually correct?

Even though e-prescriptions have long since become commonplace and barcodes have been introduced on medicine packages, there are still many errors and deviations in the medicine management chain. Digital systems for ordering, prescribing, handling, dispensing and documenting medicines should make everyday life easier for everyone. At the same time, we know that the medical record systems do not talk to each other and that medication lists are not consistent. This applies both within the same institution and across levels, regions and systems. Errors and discrepancies also occur, which in the worst case can harm the patient.

Time thieves

The new digital medication management systems are supposed to be safer and more efficient than paper-based systems. However, healthcare professionals warn that the systems steal time and are not adapted to everyday life, either in work processes or in interaction with others. The list of things that go wrong is long.

Do we want to go back to paper prescriptions and records on folding sheets? Hardly! But we need to talk together about how we can achieve the best solutions.

Home office

In desperation, we started a webinar series on digital medication management and invited to virtual coffee every other Friday morning in the fall of 2020. The editorial team consists of members from the field of practice and research.

The common denominator is a burning desire to learn more about digital medication management. Who wants to share success stories? Who wants to share solutions that promote safer medication management? Who gets stuck in a dead end?

Sharing and promotion yields great results. As of today, we count 50 webinars where nurses, researchers, doctors, pharmacists and others have shared knowledge and experiences. In total, there have been 12,500 registrations. Impressive, isn't it?

Meeting point

Why do we continue to spend time arranging free webinars, without sponsorship and publishing credits, even after the pandemic has ended?

Experts join us to share their experiences and knowledge on how digitization can contribute to a safer and better everyday life for patients, healthcare professionals and the industry. They mainly share local and national stories, and sometimes we look abroad for inspiration.

We follow the development of the patient medication list and electronic charting systems. Side effects and the right dose are regularly in the spotlight. Apps, reference books, decision support tools and physical machines - we look at it all!

The webinars are a free meeting point on neutral ground for professional replenishment and exchange of ideas, success stories and frustrations. The nerd in us goes crazy when the speakers go into the details of medication management. The feeling we get when we learn something useful that we can immediately apply to our own workplace and practice is invaluable!

The whole country

The audience includes the recent master's student, small innovation companies, suppliers, clinicians and managers in the health administration. South-Eastern Norway meets Western Norway. North meets South. Many live in rural areas. Many of the participants would never have met each other at seminars or conferences. The discussions cut across disciplines and sectors. Everyone participates to gain better insight into what the users of digital systems for medication management are struggling with. And what they succeed with. It's okay to brag!

As long as you continue to sign up and still want to share your experiences of digital medication management, we invite you to a lecture and discussion every third Friday of the month. But remember analog coffee!

Anne Gerd Granås, Professor, Norwegian Center for E-health Research and University of Oslo
Unn Sollid Manskow, senior researcher, Norwegian Center for E-health Research
Astrid Johnsen, professional developer, Sykehusapotekene HF
Thomas Bäckstrøm, hospital pharmacist, Østfold Hospital Pharmacy, Kalnes
Stine Slørdal, senior advisor, Central Norway Regional Health Authority
Monika Johansen, Head of Department, Norwegian Center for E-health Research