Use of web-based medication error reporting and management systems in improving medication safety in assisted living facilities: a systematic review

Given the negative health outcomes of medication errors, there is the need to explore the effectiveness of web-based medication error reporting and management systems in improving medication safety. Therefore, this study critically evaluates the literature on this innovation to explore how they have proven effective in reducing the number of medication errors in assisted living facilities. A systematic review of literature following the PRISMA guidelines was used to identify and screen peer-reviewed articles that analysed the use of web-based medication error reporting systems in assisted living facilities. After screening 314 articles, seven were selected for this review. The thematic analysis suggests that the medication reminders and other notifications of the web applications improved medication adherence and led to medication error reduction. Overall, findings indicate that web-based error reporting systems are useful in improving drug safety and medication management in assisted living facilities.