Documentation of clinical interventions in nutritional support.

Abstract

The implementation of this documentation system has been a success. The SPF pharmacists' participation has been excellent. All of the original objectives have been met. The results collected have been responsible for more than validating the clinical functions of the pharmacists. They have been used to create CQI indicators, improve the work flow in the IV room, and enhance the evaluation process. The pharmacists work as a team to ensure that all interventions are documented. The results obtained, including numbers and trends, are reported on a monthly basis to the NSCPS, the sterile product formulation manager, and the director of Pharmacy Services. Although the documentation is considered to be a requirement for the pharmacists, they are continually encouraged through constant feedback from the managers. This feedback included individual recognition for exceptional interventions and reports of the impact of the interventions on pharmacy service. The biggest problem with the present system was the time-consuming task of entering the data into the Paradox computer database. This will soon be resolved by the implementation of a bar code system to automate this process. The pharmacists will be able to document the information from the interventions with a hand-held bar code wand. At the end of each day, the information can be automatically downloaded into the Paradox computer database.