Initial Treatment Administration

Definition & why we measure

This is the time from when medication is ordered by the doctor after a patient’s admission to when the first dose is administered.

Delay in care (including administration of first dose of prescribed treatment) may be caused by the admission process may impact on patients’ outcomes and length of hospital stay.¹ The measure enables us to measure the efficiency of the system’s

process of medication management which has an impact on the effectiveness of care. This is a concept drawn from the widely used “golden hour” for early management many disease condition to avert worsening of the condition.²

What are we doing to improve?

We administer all first doses of treatment wherever the patient is in the admission process. The first doses do not need to wait until the patient gets into a ward bed. This process is tracked monthly for the trends and improvements made where applicable.

Note: the higher the number the better the performance.

Reference:

  1. Pujol N, Merrer J, Lemaire B, Boisrenoult P, Desmoineaux P, Oger P, Lebas C, Beaufils P. (2015) Unplanned return to theater: A quality of care and risk management index? Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. Jun;101(4):399-403. doi: 10.1016/j.otsr.2015.03.013. Epub 2015 May 4. PMID: 25952709.
  2. Wheeler, D.S. Is the “golden age” of the “golden hour” in sepsis over?. Crit Care 1 9, 447 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-015-1167-3
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