Clinical safety is a serious concern in healthcare, driving physicians and admin staff to go to great lengths to provide patients with accurate, timely care. In this high-stakes environment, every decision is weighty as it can directly impact outcomes. But as EHRs continue to evolve, they have become an inextricable part of clinical decision-making, playing an important role in protecting patients.
A well-designed EHR has the potential to improve care by reducing errors, simplify workflows and providing real-time access to critical patient information. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that physicians using EHRs are 80% less likely to face malpractice claims compared to those relying on traditional paper records, showing just how important these systems are in mitigating risks and improving patient care.
But, the story doesn’t end there. While EHRs can be powerful tools for enhancing safety, they are not without their challenges. The design, usability and functionality of an EHR system can introduce new risks, potentially leading to mistakes that compromise patient safety. From cumbersome interfaces that slow down clinical workflows to poorly integrated systems that create information silos, the wrong EHR can worsen the very safety it is meant to protect.
The Importance of Clinical Safety in EHR Systems
Clinical safety refers to the practices, systems and processes put in place to minimise risks, reduce errors and prevent harm to patients during the delivery of healthcare. In the context of EHRs, clinical safety is directly tied to the system’s ability to support healthcare providers in making well-informed decisions that positively affect the kind of care a patient receives.
When designed and implemented effectively, EHRs can enhance clinical safety in several ways:
- Accurate Documentation: EHRs allow for precise, real-time documentation of patient data, reducing the likelihood of errors that can occur as with paper records or fragmented electronic systems. This enables clinicians to access a patient’s full medical history, lab results and treatment plans in one place, which is crucial for informed decision-making.
- Decision Support: Many advanced EHR systems come equipped with clinical decision support tools, such as alerts and reminders, that guide clinicians in providing evidence-based care. These tools can help identify potential medication interactions, flag abnormal lab results and prompt follow-up actions, all of which contribute to safer patient care.
- Communication and Coordination: EHRs facilitate better communication and coordination among healthcare teams. By providing a shared platform for accessing patient information, EHRs help ensure that everyone involved in a patient’s care is on the same page, reducing the chances of miscommunication and errors that could compromise safety.
Despite the importance of clinical safety in EHRs, many system providers still fail to get it right.
A 2018 report by Pew Charitable Trusts and MedStar Health analysed 557 reports submitted by physicians and revealed widespread dissatisfaction with EHR systems, particularly regarding clinical safety. Issues such as poor interface design, cumbersome workflows and inadequate system integrations were common complaints. Physicians reported that these issues led to frustration, increased cognitive load, and errors that jeopardised patient safety.
For instance, some EHR systems were not intuitive and required excessive steps to complete tasks, which slowed down clinical processes and increased fatigue. This fatigue often resulted in delays in patient care or, worse, incorrect decisions being made. In other instances, some systems failed to send alerts when physicians prescribed allergens or contraindicated medications, while others bombarded clinicians with too many non-critical alerts, leading to desensitisation and the increased potential for important warnings to be overlooked.
In another instance, a clinician tried to order a 3.125 mg dose of medication, but the EHR system prominently displayed a 6.25 mg option, with the correct dose buried in small print, leading to confusion and potential harm.
Other reported issues included difficulties accessing patient information—even data generated within the same hospital! Lab results were often hard to locate, and in some cases, critical data was either inaccessible or required navigating through multiple steps to retrieve.
The Meddbase Approach to Clinical Safety
Our commitment to improving clinical outcomes is evident in the way we have built our platform. We believe that your EHR should be more than just a data repository—though rest assured, we will store all the data you need in the most secure and easy to access way— it should be a key member of your team, helping your physicians to make the best decisions with comprehensive support at their fingertips. When you switch to Meddbase, you’ll quickly notice how we’ve embedded clinical safety into the very fabric of our EHR.
One of our standout features is the integration of SNOMED clinical coding. This gives your physicians access to a vast array of industry-accepted drug names, simplifying the prescription process. It also allows for more accurate data capture and reporting, and enables precise recording of clinical information. With Meddbase, your physicians will be automatically alerted to conflicting prescriptions or potential adverse drug effects, improving patient safety.
Our platform’s cloud-based architecture is another key component of our strategy. It offers your practice a higher standard of security more than a locally managed system can achieve. This is thanks to our robust identity control mechanisms that ensure secure and efficient access management. This layered security not only protects patient data but also makes Meddbase a safer choice for providers of all kinds. We also continuously update our system to align with the latest safety standards and compliance requirements, so that your practice always operates at the highest level of security.
To help you get the most out of Meddbase, we also provide extensive training and ongoing education, allowing your healthcare teams to fully utilise the system’s safety features. Plus, our 24/7 technical support is always available to address any challenges, helping you maintain smooth operations.
We’re Ready to Take Your EHR Experience to the Next Level
It’s not uncommon for us to encounter practices struggling with their EHRs, citing issues such as lengthy data entry, poor interoperability, hidden costs and workflow disruptions. But recently, with growing concerns about clinical safety, and tighter regulations leading to higher penalties for negligence, we’ve seen an increase in practices seeking our help in improving their patient outcomes.
At Meddbase, we’ve had a lot of experience helping clients transition from systems that haven’t met their needs. If you’re concerned about the safety and efficiency of your current EHR, we’re here to assist. Contact us to find out how we can provide the security and support your practice deserves.
