[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":4442,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"Most of the nation\u2019s healthcare organizations have rushed to implement electronic health records in the last few years, and recent research suggests that the complex technology can be challenging to install and use safely.

In response to growing concerns about the impact of healthcare information technology on patient safety, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has released a guide to help providers safely adopt, implement and use it.

Despite the widespread adoption of HIT by hospitals and physician practices, studies have shown that electronic health records have mixed results in detecting and preventing errors that can lead to adverse events and even death. In fact, poorly implemented, designed and used EHRs \u201ccan actually lead to errors associated with health IT,\u201d contends Andrew Gettinger, MD, ONC\u2019s chief medical information officer and executive director of the Office of Clinical Quality and Safety.

Although he contends that many of these errors \u201ctend not to get to the patient,\u201d a 2015 alert issued by The Joint Commission regarding sentinel events\u2014unexpected occurrences of patient death and serious injury\u2014found that EHRs \u201cintroduce new kinds of risks into an already complex healthcare environment where both technical and social factors must be considered.\u201d The report suggested that, unless risk-reducing measures are put in place, HIT-related harm will likely increase.

Likewise, a 2015 Institute of Medicine report found diagnostic errors in healthcare are at epidemic proportions, causing serious patient safety concerns, and that EHRs are contributing factor.

\u201cMany healthcare organizations face similar struggles in their initial adoption and implementation of health IT,\u201d states the ONC guide. \u201cThe process of selecting and implementing an EHR, training users, and managing workflow changes often pose significant challenges. Along the path to improving healthcare quality and maximizing safety through EHRs, healthcare organizations need to avoid or resolve any unanticipated problems associated with these technologies.\u201d

The guide identifies goals, priorities and recommendations<\/a> related to health IT, based on studies of adverse event reports and claims.

While the guide acknowledges that a substantial body of evidence now supports the claim that HIT improves the quality and safety of healthcare, it also notes that providers face challenges and need to know where to focus their efforts and which problems to prioritize.

Included in the guide are recommendations from ONC\u2019s previously developed Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) guides, which \u201creflect the most comprehensive compilation of recommendations available to date and should be the first resource that organizations interested in addressing health IT safety should consult.\u201d It takes organizations through self-assessments and step-by-step considerations as they implement EHRs.

\u201cWith health IT, there are literally hundreds of decisions that you make,\u201d notes Gettinger. Of particular concern, he says, are the examples of unintended consequences of health IT that detract from the safety of healthcare or from the use of HIT itself.

Gettinger points to the 2014 misdiagnosis of Thomas Duncan, America\u2019s first Ebola patient, who was initially treated and released by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital\u2019s emergency department in Dallas, only to return to the hospital\u2019s ED where he was admitted for treatment of Ebola and later died.

\u201cThere are opportunities in the configuration of the EHR to make it more effective to prevent some of these diagnostic errors,\u201d he says. Despite the fact that Duncan\u2019s travel from Africa was collected by a nurse as part of the influenza screening process and entered into the EHR, Gettinger says it was not in a place where the attending physician would typically see the information.

\u201cThose decisions have a huge impact on safety,\u201d according to Gettinger, who sees lots of opportunities for providers to improve when it comes to safe EHR use. In particular, he emphasizes that it takes a community to implement health IT safely, from the boardroom down to the actual end users.

\u201cSafe care is created locally by the individuals who carefully consider the challenges at each step and make wise choices in adopting, implementing, and using health IT,\u201d concludes ONC\u2019s guide. \u201cThe information provided in this guide will hopefully serve as a starting point for organizations interested in using health IT safely to achieve better care and healthier people.\u201d

A separate recently released ONC report<\/a> on health IT safety summarizes recent evidence in the field, identifying areas where more research is needed and to encourage the development\/refinement of existing tools\/interventions to increase the safe use of health IT.","saveContent":"Most of the nation\u2019s healthcare organizations have rushed to implement electronic health records in the last few years, and recent research suggests that the complex technology can be challenging to install and use safely.

In response to growing concerns about the impact of healthcare information technology on patient safety, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has released a guide to help providers safely adopt, implement and use it.

Despite the widespread adoption of HIT by hospitals and physician practices, studies have shown that electronic health records have mixed results in detecting and preventing errors that can lead to adverse events and even death. In fact, poorly implemented, designed and used EHRs \u201ccan actually lead to errors associated with health IT,\u201d contends Andrew Gettinger, MD, ONC\u2019s chief medical information officer and executive director of the Office of Clinical Quality and Safety.

Although he contends that many of these errors \u201ctend not to get to the patient,\u201d a 2015 alert issued by The Joint Commission regarding sentinel events\u2014unexpected occurrences of patient death and serious injury\u2014found that EHRs \u201cintroduce new kinds of risks into an already complex healthcare environment where both technical and social factors must be considered.\u201d The report suggested that, unless risk-reducing measures are put in place, HIT-related harm will likely increase.

Likewise, a 2015 Institute of Medicine report found diagnostic errors in healthcare are at epidemic proportions, causing serious patient safety concerns, and that EHRs are contributing factor.

\u201cMany healthcare organizations face similar struggles in their initial adoption and implementation of health IT,\u201d states the ONC guide. \u201cThe process of selecting and implementing an EHR, training users, and managing workflow changes often pose significant challenges. Along the path to improving healthcare quality and maximizing safety through EHRs, healthcare organizations need to avoid or resolve any unanticipated problems associated with these technologies.\u201d

The guide identifies goals, priorities and recommendations<\/a> related to health IT, based on studies of adverse event reports and claims.

While the guide acknowledges that a substantial body of evidence now supports the claim that HIT improves the quality and safety of healthcare, it also notes that providers face challenges and need to know where to focus their efforts and which problems to prioritize.

Included in the guide are recommendations from ONC\u2019s previously developed Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) guides, which \u201creflect the most comprehensive compilation of recommendations available to date and should be the first resource that organizations interested in addressing health IT safety should consult.\u201d It takes organizations through self-assessments and step-by-step considerations as they implement EHRs.

\u201cWith health IT, there are literally hundreds of decisions that you make,\u201d notes Gettinger. Of particular concern, he says, are the examples of unintended consequences of health IT that detract from the safety of healthcare or from the use of HIT itself.

Gettinger points to the 2014 misdiagnosis of Thomas Duncan, America\u2019s first Ebola patient, who was initially treated and released by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital\u2019s emergency department in Dallas, only to return to the hospital\u2019s ED where he was admitted for treatment of Ebola and later died.

\u201cThere are opportunities in the configuration of the EHR to make it more effective to prevent some of these diagnostic errors,\u201d he says. Despite the fact that Duncan\u2019s travel from Africa was collected by a nurse as part of the influenza screening process and entered into the EHR, Gettinger says it was not in a place where the attending physician would typically see the information.

\u201cThose decisions have a huge impact on safety,\u201d according to Gettinger, who sees lots of opportunities for providers to improve when it comes to safe EHR use. In particular, he emphasizes that it takes a community to implement health IT safely, from the boardroom down to the actual end users.

\u201cSafe care is created locally by the individuals who carefully consider the challenges at each step and make wise choices in adopting, implementing, and using health IT,\u201d concludes ONC\u2019s guide. \u201cThe information provided in this guide will hopefully serve as a starting point for organizations interested in using health IT safely to achieve better care and healthier people.\u201d

A separate recently released ONC report<\/a> on health IT safety summarizes recent evidence in the field, identifying areas where more research is needed and to encourage the development\/refinement of existing tools\/interventions to increase the safe use of health IT.","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

ONC guide focuses on adopting EHRs to aid patient safety

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