ABSTRACT
The introduction of electronic medical records (EMRs) and other electronic software tools to healthcare has brought great benefits to patients and providers. Technology can be beneficial: for example, computerized physician order entry (CPOE) can substantially decrease the number of medication errors, and barcode technologies can significantly decrease the number of medication dispensing errors. The Washington Patient Safety Coalition (WPSC) commissioned a report to enhance patient safety by identifying electronic health record (EHR)-related risks and ways of mitigating them. The government has recognized that if health IT systems are not designed and used correctly, they can introduce new risks in addition to their expected benefits. Two organizations, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), have held meetings to coordinate activities related to health IT and patient safety. Two other organizations with oversight are the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
