The Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety of the ECRI Institute offered three ways practices can use IT and EHRs to reduce diagnostic and medication mix-up errors in a new report.
Here are the three measures outlined:
1. Communicate. ECRI recommended improving information transmission through standardizing the format of test results; using EHR functionality to automate notifications; and communicating diagnostic findings directly to the patient.
2. Track. Practices and health systems can determine where health IT can be used to correct deficiencies and improve tracking to close the loop between patients and providers. EHR data needing improvement often includes critical results not followed by an appointment or medication change, lack of repeat testing or lack of communication with the patient.
3. Acknowledge. ECRI said health IT can be used to link and acknowledge the review of information and documentation of the action taken. Diagnostic results notifications such as read, acknowledged, patient notified, follow-up complete and consultation requested and confirmed can help close the loop and prevent errors.
Click here to read the full report.
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