By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    get a medical lawyer to help after a spinal cord injury
    How Medical Lawyers Can Help with Spinal Cord Injury Claims
    September 8, 2022
    Latest News
    Getting Back in the Game: Sports Injuries Rehabilitation Tips
    May 31, 2023
    4 Signs It’s Time to See a Therapist
    May 24, 2023
    11 Ways To Modernize Your Private Practice
    May 17, 2023
    How to Recognize the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
    May 29, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Californians’ Attitudes and Experiences with Death and Dying
    February 16, 2012
    Is Medicaid Real Insurance?
    September 9, 2017
    electronic access to xray and lab doctor
    Electronic Access Increases Test Ordering Behavior
    March 10, 2012
    Latest News
    MRI Sedation Options: What You Should Know Before Screening
    May 17, 2023
    What is the Process of Creating Medicine from Nature?
    May 2, 2023
    Choosing the Right Treatment Option for Varicose Veins
    May 2, 2023
    What Are Wrong-Site Surgeries and How Do They Occur?
    April 27, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: EHRs And Malpractice Risk: A Serious Concern For Hospitals
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health care > EHRs And Malpractice Risk: A Serious Concern For Hospitals
Health careHospital Administration

EHRs And Malpractice Risk: A Serious Concern For Hospitals

Larry Alton
Last updated: 2018/12/08 at 12:26 AM
Larry Alton
Share
6 Min Read
EHRs And Malpractice Risk: A Serious Concern For Hospitals
SHARE

Electronic health records (EHRs) are standard across medical practices today, as mandated by the federal government. But while this high tech approach to medical records seemed like a good idea at first – records could easily be transferred between providers and patients wouldn’t have to gather piles of papers to share their medical histories – EHRs haven’t been nearly so successful in practice. In fact, in an attempt to improve the flow of important information, EHRs may have actually made doctors more vulnerable to malpractice cases.

Contents
The Roots Of RiskMultiple Providers Multiply RisksMalpractice In Digital ContextThe Problem Of Proper Use

The Roots Of Risk

In order to understand how EHRs impact healthcare, CRICO Strategies performed a retrospective analysis of EHR-related errors, and identified five primary causes: user error, incorrect internal information, copy-paste or pre-populating errors, problems with conversion between paper and electronic records, and design flaws, representing between 17% and 12% of errors respectively. What this set of root causes reveals is that EHR manufacturers still need to resolve a number of key problems with their programs and/or devices, while doctors also need to be better trained regarding how to use EHR programs in order to best treat patients.

Multiple Providers Multiply Risks

One of the primary goals of transitioning healthcare providers to EHRs was to help doctors collaborate across practices, and this is particularly important for medically complex individuals. In order for doctors to effectively collaborate, though, their EHRs need to be interoperable, meaning that they can be used together. When practices rely on different systems, they may struggle to communicate key information, data may be dropped from the record in transport, and ultimately the patient may face improper treatment. The fact is that despite the federal mandate for their use, there are very few standards controlling EHR design; that element relies on private industry decisions.

Malpractice In Digital Context

With so many problems at play, can doctors really be held at fault for improper care stemming from EHR errors? This is one of the biggest questions troubling healthcare providers and the legal system today.

More Read

medical call centers benefits

Best Practices for Healthcare Call Centers Should Follow in 2023

How Hospitals and Other Healthcare Providers Can Boost Employee Morale
What are the Benefits of Hospitals and Clinics Using Expense Management Services?
Tips to Keep Health Workers Safe in the Workplace
Why Is a Referenced Based Pricing Tool Necessary?

Ordinarily, in order to claim malpractice, the patient must be able to show duty of care – that there was an established relationship between the patient and doctor that led to treatment; breach of duty, or the failure to meet the standard of care or that the doctor did not act in a way that would be considered “reasonable;” and finally, that the injury was a direct result of treatment.

EHRs have no bearing on the first element of this triad; the relationship between patient and doctor is independent of technical issues. The second point, however, can be more challenging to prove from a legal perspective. It is, for example, reasonable for a doctor to act based on the information contained in the patient’s records, meaning that patients may not have standing to sue due to record errors. Errors stemming from improper use of the EHR, however, may prove a more serious problem.

The Problem Of Proper Use

If doctors are to avoid malpractice suits related to EHRs, they need to be rigorously trained on how to use the devices properly. For example, in one study researchers found that EHRs significantly increased “alert fatigue” in doctors, a result of the need to manage countless messages, reminders, and warnings from the program. This can cause doctors to dismiss important alerts, such as medication interactions or patient allergies as identified by the HER. Is this fatigue the result of doctors using the EHR improperly and failing to make use of available information or does it stem from poor design on the part of the developers?

Additionally, since EHRs suffer from a variety of design issues that compromise information accuracy, doctors have revealed that they modify information in the record, including test results. In one court case, a doctor explained to the judge that, “the EMR allows us to massage the data to filter out items so we can create flow charts and graphs.” In this particular case, the doctor had missed an abnormal urinalysis, leading to a failure to diagnose kidney disease. Though the doctor may have simply been using the EHR as instructed to create a more complete view of the patient’s health, he also failed to read a standard lab properly. In this way, EHRs complicate an already difficult job.

It’s hard to pin all fault in malpractice cases on either EHRs or doctors; both have a role in harming patients. As it stands, though, patients can’t confront EHRs in the court of law. Though they could potentially file a class action suit against various manufacturers, doctors face the brunt of patient anger and blame when things go wrong. For now, then, doctors must take added precautions in order to prevent medical errors. Read the labs twice, check the radiographs, and confirm all allergies and medications. Most of all, assume potential problems. The buck stops with you.

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Larry Alton December 7, 2018
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article 5 Morning Habits That Can Improve Your Health
Next Article What To Know About How Artificial Intelligence Is Shaping Healthcare

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

11 ways nurses can care for patients during mental health crises
11 ways nurses can care for patients during mental health crises
Mental Health June 6, 2023
test
Essential Steps for Starting Your Journey as a Fitness Instructor
Fitness June 5, 2023
mimosa pudica
Health Benefits of Mimosa Pudica: The Marvel of Nature
News June 2, 2023
medical bills
Who is Responsible for Paying the Medical Bills After an Injury?
News June 1, 2023

You Might also Like

Types of Remote Access Solutions for Hospitals
Medicare

Types of Remote Access Solutions for Hospitals

April 27, 2023
benefits of urgent care
Health

What Are the Advantages of Urgent Care Facilities?

April 14, 2023
get a career in medical device sales
Medicare

What Are the Benefits of Attending Medical Sales College?

April 10, 2023
subscription based telemedicine
Hospital Administration

Subscription Management Solutions Are Crucial for Telemedicine

April 5, 2023
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?