Feature Request: IV Medication Infusion Duration Alerts and Administration Safeguards

Suggested category: Patient Safety / Treatment Sheet Functionality

Summary

I would like to request a patient-safety feature in IDEXX SmartFlow that allows IV medications to be prescribed and displayed with a clearly defined infusion duration, including a prominent visual alert on the treatment sheet.

The Problem

In our veterinary hospital, we use intravenous cyclosporine that must be diluted and administered over four hours. Currently, SmartFlow does not provide a sufficiently clear way to display or enforce this specific infusion duration on the treatment sheet.

As a result, this medication has inadvertently been administered over one hour on multiple recent occasions, despite staff education and reminders.

This presents a preventable patient-safety concern. When a medication requires a prolonged infusion, the intended duration needs to be clearly communicated at the point of administration. Relying on written notes, memory, or verbal communication alone leaves room for human error, particularly in a busy clinical environment.

Proposed Solution

I propose adding an IV infusion-duration field to medication orders and treatment sheets, with the following functionality:

• Required infusion duration: Allow the prescribing clinician to specify the intended administration time, such as “Infuse IV over 4 hours.”

• Prominent treatment-sheet display: Display the infusion duration directly beside the medication name and dose, rather than burying it in general instructions.

• Visual safety alert: Use a distinctive warning or highlighted instruction for medications requiring administration over an extended period.

• Start and completion documentation: Allow staff to record the infusion start time and completion time, making it easier to confirm that the medication was administered over the prescribed duration.

• Optional administration safeguards: Where technically feasible, provide a warning or confirmation prompt if staff document completion earlier than the prescribed infusion duration.

• Medication-specific instructions: Allow the infusion duration to be saved as part of a medication protocol or order template to improve consistency across treatment sheets and shifts.

Patient Safety and Educational Benefits

This feature would provide an additional layer of protection against medication-administration errors. It would reinforce safe infusion practices, improve communication between veterinary team members, and support veterinary technicians in following prescribed treatment protocols.

It would also reduce reliance on repeated staff reminders and help hospitals build safer, more standardized workflows. Education remains essential, but software design can support that education at the exact point where a medication is administered.

Request

I encourage the SmartFlow development team to consider this enhancement as a patient-safety priority. A clearly displayed, configurable infusion duration with an appropriate alert could help prevent repeat administration errors and benefit veterinary hospitals using SmartFlow across a wide range of clinical settings.

Thank you for considering this request and for continuing to improve SmartFlow's functionality in support of veterinary patient safety.