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Abstract

With the heightened interest on medication mix-ups in the media, improvements to patient health and safety are a natural focus for research in medical human factors. Specifically, this project sought to answer the question ‘Does Color Matter?’ with respect to medication containers/labels and their contribution to look-a-like medication mix-ups. Participants were asked to rate the perceptual similarity of pairs of medication ampoules and vials. Ratings were analyzed using Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS). A three dimensional solution provided the best fit of the results. Participants rated medication ampoules as highly similar if they shared the same glass color (dimension 1), label color (dimension 2), and label pattern (dimension 3). Ratings of medication vials were similar if they had similar glass color (dimension 1), label pattern (dimension 2) and label color (dimension 3). The results of this study show that color is an important feature used by nurses when judging medications on their similarity. Discussion centers on the practical implications of the results on medication look a-like confusions.

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Medication Container Look A-Likes: Does Color Matter?

Abstract

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References