PA – Report Links over 850 Medication Errors to Health Information Technology

April 2017 ~

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority (PPSA) released an in-depth analysis of health information technology (HIT) related medication errors. The report indicates that 889 medication-error events were reported by health care facilities between January 1 and June 30, 2016, all of which indicated health information technology as a contributing factor.

According to PPSA’s report, the most frequently reported errors included dose omission, wrong dose or over-dosage, and extra dose. The most commonly reported systems involved in the errors were computerized prescriber order entry systems (CPOE) and the pharmacy systems.

The PPSA analysts found that HIT-related errors occurred during every step of the medication use process. A majority of errors (69.2%) reached the patient. While only eight (0.9%) errors resulted in patient harm.

PPSA’s executive director, Regina Hoffman, in a statement accompanying the report noted, “As more healthcare organizations adopted [EHR/EMRs (electronic health records systems)] and such systems became increasingly interoperable, the Authority observed an increase in reports of HIT-related events, particularly in relationship to medication errors. In response, the Authority implemented additional event reporting questions that would better capture whether HIT was a contributing factor in reported events.”

Source(s): Health Leaders Media; Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority; PR Newswire; Managed Care; Becker’s Health IT & CIO Review;