Texas Study: Electronic Health Records Could Cause Malpractice Suits

A new Texas report has many patients and many in the health industry thinking differently about the impact of electronic health records.
 
The AC Group, a Texas health information technology research and consulting firm, recently released a paper showing that though electronic health records may save lives by preventing medical errors from taking place in the long run, they may lead to more medical errors in the short term.
 
How could this be? The researchers explained that the pressure for hospitals to switch over to electronic health records means that some hospitals are adopting technology that is far from perfect. As many as 90 percent of the ambulatory EHRs they examined for the report did not provide drug lab alerts, while others did not warn health professionals about dangerous drug interactions or correct recommended treatments. In addition, the health records are not able to take family history into account.
 
What does this mean for doctors and hospitals? The researchers urge the federal government to rethink incentive that would pressure hospitals to use electronic health records as soon as possible.
 
Do you believe that you or a loved one was harmed in a hospital – either due to a doctor error or a mistake involving an electronic health record? Speak to a Dallas medical malpractice attorney at Ransansky Law Firm today to discuss your case during a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.