Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
Study

A review of verbal order policies in acute care hospitals.

Wakefield DS, Wakefield BJ, Despins L, et al. A review of verbal order policies in acute care hospitals. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2012;38(1):24-33.

Save
Print
January 18, 2012
Wakefield DS, Wakefield BJ, Despins L, et al. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2012;38(1):24-33.
View more articles from the same authors.

Verbal orders, usually for medications, are commonly used in the inpatient setting despite being a recognized source of error. This survey of 40 hospitals found wide variation in hospital policies regarding verbal orders, with no uniform standard on which providers were allowed to give or receive verbal orders and varying approaches to documenting these orders. Although specific methods, such as read-backs, are endorsed for improving the reliability of verbal orders, few hospitals specifically mandated the use of these communication tools. A case of a misunderstood verbal order that led to a serious error is discussed in this AHRQ WebM&M commentary.

Save
Print
Cite
Citation

Wakefield DS, Wakefield BJ, Despins L, et al. A review of verbal order policies in acute care hospitals. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2012;38(1):24-33.

Related Resources From the Same Author(s)
Related Resources