How can information technology be used to enhance patient safety? Use at least one specific example.

 

Patient safety refers to the avoidance and prevention of adverse consequences or injuries as a result of health care processes. Healthcare information technology involves the application of computer hardware and software that deals with data storage, retrieval, and sharing crucial for communication and decision making. It helps in reducing human errors, improving clinical results, tracking data overtime, improving efficiency, and enhancing care coordination. Examples of the most common information technology used in the healthcare sector are electronic medical records (EMR), electronic Physician’s Order entry, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), E-prescribing, Electronic Sign out, Patient Data Management Systems (PDMS), and Telemedicine, among others (Aviv, Reis & Borycki., 2017).
Computerized physician order entry was developed to improve the safety of medication orders as well as allow electronic ordering of tests and consultation. It is linked to a clinical decision support system, which aids in the prevention of errors by advising the prescriber on the best drug doses, routes, and administration frequencies. Decision support system provides health care professionals with notifications, alerts, and reminders, clinical guidelines, patient specific clinical summaries, and investigative and diagnostic support, which eases clinical workflow and decision making. Electronic sign out or handover of patient specific information from one caregiver to another to ensure care continuity and safety is known to reduce handover time and reduce omission of critical patient information. The use of secure patient portals where patients are able to access their personal health information has greatly improved the outcome of preventive care, disease awareness, and self-management.
Implementation of electronic medical records reduces medical errors and improves patients’ safety. It is therefore necessary for organizations to ensure that health information technologies are regularly updated to comply with the recommended clinical practices, standards and technical stability (Black, Neumann & Noy et al., 2021). As technology continues to advance, the use of artificial intelligence tools like chat bots and wearables is helping patients take control of their own care through better patient monitoring and care administration.