The work system of prehospital medication administration: a qualitative mixed methods study with ambulance professionals.

backgroundThe characteristics of medication administration within the prehospital setting are underexplored. Ambulance professionals operate under varied levels of responsibility, dependent on their training and collaboration with local emergency facilities and other medical personnel. Given the critical condition of many patients using these services and the challenging environments they operate in, the risk of adverse drug events is significant. The aim was to advance the knowledge of the medication administration process in the setting of ambulance services.

methodsA qualitative mixed-methods design was applied to examine the medication administration process among ambulance professionals in a Norwegian hospital trust. Data collection included individual semi-structured interviews with 11 ambulance professionals at three ambulance stations, complemented by 114 h of observations. Interviews and observations were guided by the System Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) work system model, and data were analyzed using a combined deductive-inductive content analysis.

resultsThe medication administration process in the ambulance work system is condensed into three stages: preparation, administration, and patient transfer, primarily due to constraints related to time and available information. The medication administration work system is influenced by a set of eight interrelated categories. These include technological aspects such as workarounds necessitated by inadequate equipment, organizational dynamics such as the fluid delegation of tasks, physical environmental conditions that impact on decision-making, and personal factors such as collaboration in managing critical patient scenarios.

conclusionMedication administration tasks in the ambulance service take place along a continuum involving physical, technological, and organizational factors that interact and continuously influence ambulance professionals in their everyday practices. The study highlights the need for enhanced medication administration processes in ambulance services through improved collaboration, training, technological usability, and organizational adaptability.