Effects Of Health IT On Medical Malpractice
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, litigations due to medical malpractices such as premature birth linked to cerebral palsy, unnecessary surgeries, misdiagnosis, etc. cost the healthcare industry about 97.5 billion dollars every year!
Moreover, patients harmed due to medical negligence, and their families have to undergo financial, emotional, and physical stress, which often exists for the lifetime of the affected patient.
Just like every other industry, the incorporation of information technology within the healthcare industry now allows institutions and physicians to provide patients with a better and error-free diagnosis.
6 Ways Information Technology Help Reduce Medical Malpractice
Better Documentation of Patient Records
Doctors are now able to efficiently log all the essential medical records of patients without missing any detail using EMR (Electronic Medical Record) systems. Thus, it becomes easier for doctors to refer to the previous medical records of a patient and provide appropriate medication/treatment.
Also, the adoption of cloud data storage allows patients to consult different doctors for recommendations as all the necessary information related to their condition is easily accessible.
Better Communication With Others
Communication gap with the patients and fellow medical professionals is one of the main reasons for medical malpractice issues. Any lapse in communication can have dangerous aftereffects, especially when dealing with critical health issues.
With the help of IT solutions, doctors can now easily communicate with their patients and other involved professionals in an efficient manner, thus ensuring better treatment.
Ability to Monitor Patients in Real-Time
There now exists RFID-based systems that regularly monitor data related to vital components of a patient. In the case of abnormalities in the monitored data, the doctor gets notified immediately, and the same can be communicated with the patient to provide almost real-time advice and treatment.
Constant monitoring of vital signs significantly reduces any chance of medical negligence, thus saving lives.
Digital Acknowledgements from Physicians
Hospitals are now implementing systems where test results and treatment procedures conducted within the hospital have to be digitally acknowledged by the concerned physicians. Such a system holds the physicians responsible for any medical negligence cases that arise due to inappropriate diagnosis.
By requiring physicians to vouch for their activities, it increases their responsibility towards the patient as they can be legally held accountable for any avoidable mistakes.
Get Decision Supporting Data
By digitally storing patient records, doctors can quickly gain access to several cases of different diseases. This allows doctors to update their knowledge about different disease scenarios and also will enable them to compare any new conditions with an existing patient record for better diagnosis.
This way, the chances of wrongly diagnosing patients can be reduced, which also reduces the possibility of any medical negligence issues to happen.
Easy Insurance Claims and Processing
These days most people rely on insurance companies to receive coverage on their hospital bills and related expenses.
Modern billing software can help patients claim insurance benefits faster and with a detailed listing of all the expenses, the processing time by insurance companies can also be significantly reduced for faster reimbursements.
Final Words
Just like any other industry, the implementation of information technology within the healthcare industry can help in improving the efficiency and working standards of medical institutions.
Modern HIT systems allow medical institutions to ensure top-class and quality diagnosis and treatment by reducing the chances of any medical negligence or malpractice to occur.
We hope you enjoyed this promoted piece as much as we did!
