Electronic health records may help reduce hefty malpractice settlements for physicians and insurance companies.
In a study done by Harvard researchers, 6.1% of physicians with electronic records had malpractice settlements, compared to 10.8% without electronic records.
"The results of this study indicate that preventing medical malpractice claims may be another compelling reason for physicians, practices, and policy makers to forge ahead with efforts toward universal adoption and optimal usage of electronic health records," said Steven Simon, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the lead author of the study.
The researchers believe that electronic records decrease malpractice claims because they offer easy access to a patient's history, which leads to fewer errors, and clear documentation of care in the event of a legal battle.
If the link between electronic health records and lower malpractice payments can be confirmed in other studies, insurers may offer a lower premium to doctors who use electronic records, Simon said.
President-elect Obama has frequently talked of his plans to modernize healthcare, in part by promoting the use of electronic medical records.
The study was published in the November 24th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Comments
“TOO MUCH AIRPLANE”
It makes intuitive sense that reducing the number of errors could generally reduce malpractice (and, consequently, medmal claims). While there is no quick fix to our healthcare quality problem, the use of electronic medical records could play a role by encouraging more consistency of care.
The idea that healthcare has grown too complicated, becoming “too much airplane for one man to fly,” is often used to justify surgeons’ and OR checklists. It’s not that our doctors, surgeons, nurses and hospitals aren’t good – it’s simply that there are too many details and scientific improvements to keep track of. As doctors start to conduct more care through computers, and as patients use the Internet to tend to their own health, these kinds of evidence-based tools may help inform better care.
More possibilities? www.healthcaretownhall.com
Privacy is an issue with e-patient records. Maybe patients can bolster privacy by inserting legal terms of access (like an end-user license agreement) into the content of their electronic medical records. The terms could set binding rules for who may view data and when. The idea is not legal advice, just something to think about. --Ben
Post new comment