Do Electronic Medical Records Systems Actually Reduce Prescription Errors?
Doctor prescription errors are some of the most common errors related to medications and can often be traced back to illegible writing. Busy doctors do not also make sure the name of the medication and instructions are clearly written on their orders. With many drugs having similar spellings and dosages that can vary greatly, patients wind up with the
wrong medication or the
wrong dosage instructions.
One solution to this growing problem is to automate prescriptions, using a computer system to print prescriptions. However, The Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog reveals that these systems may not solve the prescription mistake problems clinics and hospitals face. While the new systems have lead to an overall drop in medication errors, certain specific types may actually increase.
Implementation of electronic medical record (EMR) systems generally results in a decrease in errors associated with abbreviations. This change reportedly occurred immediately and was sustained over the year after the new system was introduced. In contrast, errors including wrong medication directions and incorrect dosages were not reduced and in some cases became more frequent.
Furthermore, as anyone who has ever worked through a software change can probably tell you, transitioning to a new system can be very difficult. 40% of the physicians who participated in the study reported being dissatisfied with the system. Only a minority said they believed the EMR system actually improved patient safety.
As an ethical and trusted Tampa personal injury lawyer, Scott Distasio founded Distasio Law Firm in February of 2006, which focuses on all types of personal injury cases. He wanted to open a law firm that represented his belief that all firms should provide ethical and outstanding service to their clients.
