Question

How can information technology be used to enhance patient safety? Be specific and explain your answers.

Answer 1

It is believed that now technology plays an integral role in the medical field. By the use of right technology, the efficiency as well as the quality can be improved and in the cost reduction. It helps in the better communication within the staff, clinician. It reduces any sort of medical error, enhancement in the access to medical information. There are some ways by which information technology can be used to enhance patient safety –

· Makes communication possible between clinician – There are many patient which undergo the treatment under different clinician, which can result in miscommunication or error. This is one of the reasons for the cause of adverse event. EHRs are designed which decreases the occurrence of such error with the help of compiling as well as in maintaining each patient’s health information into one single record.

· Deduction in the medical error – Prescribing errors is the commonest error that results in serious complications. Electronic prescribing results in reducing the occurrence of prescribing error as the clinician sends the prescription electronically to the pharmacy.

· Provide access to the information – Due to the lack of medical or drug knowledge to the clinician it has resulted in the occurrence of various medication errors. With the help of information technology, databases, textbooks, medical references, drug reference information is easily accessible to clinician which reduces the occurrence of such errors.

· Increased patient centered care – It is considered good to encourage patient to be more involved in their care for various reasons. With the help of technology, communication is possible between providers and patient via messaging, emails, online portals. Additionally it makes it easier to access online medical records, which helps in self-monitoring and patient convenience.

Information technology has a considerable effect on patient safety.