Clinical Informatics: Recursive Concurrence Intravenous Medication Administration Systems Protocols for Addressing the Potential Problem of Recessive Lethal Autonomy in Smart Infusion Systems

Abstract

Smart Infusion Pumps are vital tools for use in administering a broad range of parenteral/intravenous medications. Safe and effective use of smart infusion pumps depends upon their integration with Pump Servers, Computerized Physician Order Entry Systems, Pharmacy Information Systems, DERS/MERS Dose/Medication Error Reduction Systems( and the digital Drug Libraries that they use), eMARS/electronic Medication Administration Records Systems, etc. More computer systems result in more computer network connections, with systems that run on ever more lines of computer software code. Resulting in more chaos and more complexity, and inevitably a greater likelihood for systems failure and/or malfunction - this in effect runs contrary to the objective of deploying clinical informatics solutions such as smart infusion systems, due to their inherent technical and chronic performance problems as well as error prone usage that may occasion Recessive(unintended but underlying) Lethal Autonomy. The Recursive Concurrence protocols suggested in this paper are a means for reducing if not eliminating the challenging phenomenon of Recessive Lethal Autonomy in clinical informatics devices and/or systems.