In 1999, the Institute of Medicine in the United States produced a report requesting national efforts to make healthcare safer and called for a reduction in the incidence of medication errors. This healthcare priority was echoed by other institutions globally such as the Institute for Safe Medication Practices-Canada and the World Health Organization. Pediatric patients are disproportionally affected by medication dosing errors. Bolus intravenous (IV) medication, frequently used in pediatric traumas, leads to even higher error rates, in large part due to the high stress environment in which clinicians are required to operate and the complexity of the task. For patients in need of immediate care, a delay can lead to serious or even fatal consequences, as the condition of pediatric patients often deteriorates rapidly.

Following discussions with stakeholders across North America, spanning a variety of healthcare specialties, including specialized pediatric tertiary care hospitals, rural community hospitals, and emergency medical services, our team gained insight into the various pain points associated with the preparation of IV bolus medication. Even in highly specialized settings, where clinicians regularly receive pediatric medication dosing training, medication errors remain an issue. As such, our team is developing a semi-automated IV medication assistant to reduce the incidence of medication dosing errors and the associated adverse effects within emergency departments.