Table 4.

Qualitative synthesis of reduction in medication errors identified in comparative studies according to intervention theme and type.

Intervention theme	Intervention type	Medication error type
		Overall		Prescribing		Administration		Multiple
		Median % error reduction (range)	n *	Median % error reduction (range)	n	Median % error reduction (range)	n	Median % error reduction (range)	n
Technology (n = 34)	Any	73 (−11–100)	33	85 (25–100)	18	52 (47–100)	5	58 (0–83)	9
	Barcoding	50 (47–52)	2	–	–	50 (47–52)	2	–	–
	CDS	77 (53–100)	2	77 (53–100)	2	–	–	–	–
	CPOE	66 (0–99)	5	96 (93–99)	2	47	1	33 (0–66)	2
	CPOE + CDS	78 (−11–100)	15	83 (25–100)	8	−11	1	62 (0–83)	6
	Computer programmes	96 (53–100)	6	94 (53–100)	5	100	1	–	–
	IV administration technology	73	1	–	–	73	1	–	–
Organizational (n = 14)	Any	50 (−16–100)	11	53 (48–100)	5	37 (−16–72)	5	39	1
	GPPs	51 (37–100)	6	59 (48–100)	4	37	1	39	1
	Medication distribution and supply	46 (−16–72)	4	–	–	46 (−16–72)	4	–	–
Personnel (n = 13)	Education	52 (14–87)	13	56 (14–86)	7	52 (14–87)	5	37	1
Hazard and risk analysis (n = 6)	Quality improvement tools	65 (59–74)	3	–	–	–	–	65 (59–74)	3
Pharmacy (n = 2)	Any	48 (17–79)	2	17	1	–	–	79	1
	Ward based	79	1	–	–	–	–	79	1
	Dispensary based	–	–	17	1	–	–	–	–
Multifactorial (n = 17)	Any	54 (15–100)	17	50 (15–76)	7	65 (63–67)	2	61 (17–100)	8
	GPPs + education	50 (24–76)	7	50 (44–76)	3	65 (63–67)	2	31 (24–37)	2
	GPPs + education + pharmacy	53 (15–100)	4	35 (15–54)	2	–	–	75 (51–100)	2
	GPPs + education + technology	70 (17–100)	5	46 (22–70)	2	–	–	71 (17–100)	3

CDS, clinical decision support; CPOE, computerized physician order entry; GPPs, guidelines, policies, and procedures; IV, intravenous.

^*Does not add up to total number of comparative studies within each theme as not all studies reported an error risk difference.