Today's Bad Health IT Systems: More Dangerous Than Paper?

I believe in 2013 that they are.(Definition of bad health IT is here:  http://www.ischool.drexel.edu/faculty/ssilverstein/cases/)I recently posted about two "glitches" in a major EHR seller's clinical systems, Siemens Healthcare, affecting safety-critical functions of medication reconciliation and medication ordering.Another Health IT "Glitch" - Can Digital Disappearing Ink Kill Patients? Can Digital Disappearing Ink (An EHR "Glitch") Kill Patients? Part 2Considering these, plus the many "glitches" reported by the only EHR seller who does so via FDA's MAUDE database (see here: http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2011/01/maude-and-hit-risk-mother-mary-what-in.html), and the others posted at this blog at query link: http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/search/label/glitch, the following issue needs serious consideration by policymakers.Namely, the issue that enterprise electronic medical command-and-control systems, which today's "EHRs" in reality are, are on their face more risk-prone than the paper systems they are replacing.The "glitches" reported above are clearly the tip of the iceberg due to industry norms of secrecy, the absence of most of the industry in reporting to FDA MAUDE or anywhere, and my limited sources of information.  It is likely the true level of "glitches" in live EHR/clinical IT installations is far, far higher  - conservatively, I believe, at least two orders of magnitude.Workarounds to IT "glitches" such as recommended in the Siemens bulletins at the...

Source: Health Care Renewal - August 7, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: healthcare IT dangers glitch workarounds MAUDE FDA recall bad health IT Siemens Healthcare healthcare IT defects GE Centricity PACS Source Type: blogs