A recent The Doctors Company report found electronic health records may increase practices' medical errors and malpractice liability, according to North Bay Business Journal.
The Doctors Company, a medical malpractice insurance company in Napa, Calif., analyzed 100 claims that cited EHRs as a contributing factor.
Here are six key points:
1. Of the 100 claims, 97 claims alleged diagnosis-related errors were the primary reason for the claim.
2. Following diagnostic-related errors, 97 claims cited medication-related errors as a reason for the claim.
3. From 2007 to 2010, The Doctors Company identified two claims that cited EHR as a contributing factor. In 2013, the figure increased to 28 claims.
4. In 2014, 26 claims cited EHR as a contributing factor.
5. Relating to malpractice lawsuits citing EHR as a contributing factor, the claims cited data entry errors such as:
• Health records tracked in various formats and stored in multiple places
• Converting to digital files from paper
• Copying and pasting data without modification
• Insufficient EHR training and education.
6. Forty-three percent of EHR claim events happened in a hospital clinic or a physician's office.
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