Welcome to the Nexus of Ethics, Psychology, Morality, Philosophy and Health Care

Welcome to the nexus of ethics, psychology, morality, technology, health care, and philosophy

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

8 Malpractice Dangers in Your EHR

By Neil Chesanow
MedScape
Originally published August 26, 2014

Many physicians are so concerned about being sued for malpractice that they routinely order unnecessary tests and procedures to practice defensive medicine. And yet, when it comes to legal risks in using their electronic health records (EHRs), their concern is often nonexistent, experts assert.

Many doctors use their EHRs in nonstandard ways, without considering how this may affect them in a liability suit. Or they gloss over other aspects of using an EHR.

"Every aspect of EHR selection, implementation, and use may be examined in the course of medical malpractice discovery to uncover the source of the incident, or undermine the records that are being presented in defense of the malpractice claim," warns Ronald B. Sterling, CPA, MBA, an EHR expert in Silver Spring, Maryland, and author of Keys to EMR Success.

"Anything could be a malpractice issue," Sterling says, "from the product itself, to the way it was set up, to how you've been using it."

Are your EHR practices setting you up for a rude awakening should a patient sue you for malpractice? Let's take a look.

The entire article is here.