Electronic medical record (EMR) software systems can help to reduce clinical errors, thereby also reducing the likelihood of lawsuits, mainly by allowing medical facilities to provide timely and effective patient care. However, the use of EMRs can not only reduce or eliminate the expenditures of a facility that are inherent to tedious administrative tasks and manual filing systems, but they can also centralize medical records and provide medical professionals with universal remote access.
As a result, EMRs can significantly reduce the risk factor for doctors, hospitals and even insurance companies. Some estimates claim that close to 98,000 patients currently die each year due to preventable medical errors; a number that could be significantly reduced if medical facilities had universal access to the comprehensive medical history of each patient. This is a key factor that works to reduce the likelihood of lawsuits surrounding clinical errors.
Many proponents of EMR technology also contend that the use of digital recordkeeping systems in healthcare facilities will work to decrease malpractice insurance claims. This additional benefit is a natural product of the enhancements to patient safety that come with the implementation of EMRs. It’s simple: By reducing inefficiencies and preventing clinical errors, EMRs decrease the incidents of patient injuries and thereby reduce the number of malpractice claims that are filed.
Furthermore, the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) has announced that it will continue to advocate for lower malpractice insurance premiums for physicians and healthcare facilities that successfully implement certified EMR software systems. CCHIT has also publicly asserted that the use of electronic medical records can enhance the quality and safety of patient care by providing diagnostic and therapeutic decision support, as well as built-in clinical alerts and reminders. Finally, CCHIT has stated that physicians and healthcare facilities that use EMRs may also improve the defense of malpractice incidents that do happen to arise, as the documentation process is drastically improved in digital recordkeeping systems.