Electronic Health Records Uses and Malpractice Risks

Hassan A. Aziz; Ola Asaad Alsharabasi

doi:10.29074/ascls.28.4.250

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Hassan A. Aziz, PhD, MLS(ASCP)^cm⇑
1. College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha – Qatar
Ola Asaad Alsharabasi
1. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha – Qatar

Address for Correspondence: Hassan A. Aziz, PhD, MLS(ASCP)^cm, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Director and Associate Professor of Biomedical Science, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha – Qatar, 00974-4403-4783, Hassan.Aziz{at}qu.edu.qa

Define the term Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Describe the ARRA-HITECH programs to support electronic health records.
Identify the benefits of electronic health records.
Describe the benefits and challenges of EHR applications in healthcare.
Summarize and differentiate the three groups of EHR malpractice risks.

Extract

INTRODUCTION Our world has been radically transformed by digital technology – smart phones, tablets, and web-enabled devices have transformed our daily lives and the way we communicate. A greater and more seamless flow of information within a digital healthcare infrastructure, created by electronic health records (EHRs), encompasses and leverages digital progress and can transform the way care is delivered and compensated. An EHR is a digital version of a patient's paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users. While an EHR does contain the medical and treatment histories of patients, an EHR system is built to go beyond standard clinical data collected in a provider's office and can be inclusive of a broader view of a patient's care.¹ One of the key features of an EHR is that health information can be created and managed by authorized providers in a digital format capable of being shared with other providers across more than one healthcare organization. EHRs are built to share information with other healthcare providers and organizations – such as laboratories – so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient's care. The EHR is composed of components such as clinical decision support systems (CDSS) that include information about relevant clinical practice guidelines and clinical reminders, and computerized physician order entry (CPOE) of medications that check orders against patient information to flag potential drug interactions, allergic reactions, and errors.²

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH)…

ABBREVIATIONS: HER - Electronic Health Records, ARRA - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, HITECH - Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health, CDSS - Clinical Decision Support System, CPOE - Computerized Physician Order Entry, IOM - Institute of Medicine's, HIT - Health Information Technology, CRICO - Controlled Risk Insurance Company