Currently, 80 percent of physician office practices and 90 percent of hospitals have adopted electronic health records (EHRs) to help optimize productivity, workflow, and communication. EHRs have great potential to advance both the practice of good medicine and patient safety. However, there are always unanticipated consequences when new technologies are rapidly adopted—and EHRs are no exception.

While EHRs have brought many positives, their widespread adoption has negatively affected doctor satisfaction, efficiency, and practice workflow. In addition, claims filed against members of The Doctors Company in which EHRs were a contributing factor have increased continuously over the past 10 years.

The following study, published by the Doctors Company, reveals data-driven insights into these claims and provides risk mitigation strategies to decrease the risk of injury. Authors analyze the claims experience of over 80,000 members and translate the findings into patient safety initiatives that protect clinicians and their patients.