The computerized medication administration record (MAR)
The computerized medication administration record (MAR) was a chart of all of the medications administered to a patient by a hospital. Kate, a programmer/analyst in the Management Information Systems department, led a team to computerize the MAR. The team had been working on the pilot project for a year and hoped for a smooth execution. The computerized MAR was launched and immediately failed. By 10:00 a.m., floor nurses and staff pharmacists complained that the system did not work and was too complicated. After hearing nurses’ complaints, physicians expressed concern about patient safety. At 1:30 p.m., the computer system crashed, and the MAR project was suspended. Kate assembled the project team to study the project failure. Kate will make a presentation to Central Hospital’s management group on the MAR project failure.
- What structural change is indicated at Integrated Health?
- What caused MAR to fail?
- Why are the nurses resisting the MAR project?
- What techniques should be used to overcome the barriers to change?
Sample Answer
Kate’s presentation to Central Hospital’s management group on the MAR project failure should focus on the following key areas:
- What were the root causes of the project failure?
- What lessons can be learned from the failure?
- What recommendations do you have to prevent similar failures from happening in the future?
To identify the root causes of the project failure, Kate and her team can conduct a post-mortem analysis. This will involve reviewing all of the project documentation, interviewing team members and stakeholders, and analyzing data from the system.