Assessing medication safety culture in Norwegian pediatric wards: a first nationwide survey
- 1Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo
- 2Hospital Pharmacy in Bergen, Hospital Pharmacies Enterprise in Western Norway
- 3Medicines for Children Network, Haukeland University Hospital
Abstract
Background and aims Health information technologies are widely used in hospitals to reduce the risk of medication errors. However, evidence on their impact on medication management and patient safety in pediatric settings remains limited. The aim of this study was to assess safety culture in medication management and medication error reporting in pediatric wards and to identify areas for improvement. Method A survey was developed and presented on the annual meeting of Medicines for Children Network, Norway, attended by 80 physicians, pharmacists, and nurses. Following adjustments, the questionnaire was piloted with two physicians, three pharmacists, and three nurses. The survey was then distributed by e-mail to all pediatric wards in Norway. We used the SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety) model to guide the analysis. Results In total 102 nurses, 24 physicians and seven pharmacists responded, representing 19 out of the 22 (86%) pediatric wards. Access to health information technology adapted to pediatrics, including electronic health records, electronic medication administration records, and clinical decision support systems, varied across hospitals and across stages of the medication management process. Respondents generally agreed that a well-established reporting culture promotes learning. A majority also expressed a need for greater involvement in the review of reported medication errors, and more extensive training regarding patient safety and reporting culture. Conclusion Hospital staff demonstrated generally positive awareness of pediatric patient safety. Medication management seemed to be affected by the ongoing implementation of new health information technology, suggesting opportunities for better health information technologies adapted to pediatric wards. Persistent barriers to medication error reporting may limit opportunities for learning and improvement.
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BibTeX
@article{kadir2026assessing,
title = {{Assessing medication safety culture in Norwegian pediatric wards: a first nationwide survey}},
author = {Lavin Kadir and M. Einen and J. C. Bergman and H. U. Irgens and G-T. L. Sørland and A. G. Granas and A. Mulac},
journal = {BMC Pediatrics},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12887-026-07365-6},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07365-6},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Assessing medication safety culture in Norwegian pediatric wards: a first nationwide survey
AU - Lavin Kadir
AU - M. Einen
AU - J. C. Bergman
AU - H. U. Irgens
AU - G-T. L. Sørland
AU - A. G. Granas
AU - A. Mulac
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC Pediatrics
DO - 10.1186/s12887-026-07365-6
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07365-6
AB - Background and aims Health information technologies are widely used in hospitals to reduce the risk of medication errors. However, evidence on their impact on medication management and patient safety in pediatric settings remains limited. The aim of this study was to assess safety culture in medication management and medication error reporting in pediatric wards and to identify areas for improvement. Method A survey was developed and presented on the annual meeting of Medicines for Children Network, Norway, attended by 80 physicians, pharmacists, and nurses. Following adjustments, the questionnaire was piloted with two physicians, three pharmacists, and three nurses. The survey was then distributed by e-mail to all pediatric wards in Norway. We used the SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety) model to guide the analysis. Results In total 102 nurses, 24 physicians and seven pharmacists responded, representing 19 out of the 22 (86%) pediatric wards. Access to health information technology adapted to pediatrics, including electronic health records, electronic medication administration records, and clinical decision support systems, varied across hospitals and across stages of the medication management process. Respondents generally agreed that a well-established reporting culture promotes learning. A majority also expressed a need for greater involvement in the review of reported medication errors, and more extensive training regarding patient safety and reporting culture. Conclusion Hospital staff demonstrated generally positive awareness of pediatric patient safety. Medication management seemed to be affected by the ongoing implementation of new health information technology, suggesting opportunities for better health information technologies adapted to pediatric wards. Persistent barriers to medication error reporting may limit opportunities for learning and improvement.
SN - 1471-2431
ER -