The U.S. Pharmacopoeia's 5th annual study of medical errors reports that errors in electronic order submission have actually exceeded errors made by handwriting.

U.S. Report: The number of errors in electronic order submission have actually exceeded errors made by handwriting. "With powerful and capable software, we have yet to achieve the quality and safety improvements that are at our fingertips..."
U.S. Pharmacopoeia, 5th Annual study/James Feldbaum, M.D.

Surprising results from the U.S. Pharmacopoeia show that the number of errors made with e-prescribing have actually exceeded the number of errors from handwritten prescriptions. In the July edition of Healthcare Informatics, James Feldbaum, M.D., takes a pointed look at the use of Computerized Physician Order Entry, or CPOE, and its effect on the quality of patient care. "With powerful and capable software, we have yet to achieve the quality and safety improvements that are at our fingertips..." he states. In this well-written commentary he examines cutting edge technology and demonstrates that the implementation of software, in and of itself, will not be enough to get us to effective and safe electronic medical records.

When consulting for EMR implementation, Eagle's Landing CEO, Elisa Comer, asserts, "Electronic medical records are a great tool for improving patient care and controlling medical costs. While the traditional transcriptionist's role will change, elimination of the documentation expert can be very dangerous for the documentation cycle." The study points to some errors stemming from transcription of the medication order. "What the study doesn't point out," says Comer, "is that with an EMR, the transcriptionist has often been eliminated. This means the physician or the office staff are performing that function now. It just proves, once again, that elimination of the documentation specialist results in more errors and can compromise patient care."

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