To assist the healthcare community in learning about potential patient safety issues, ECRI Institute Patient Safety Organization (PSO) is currently conducting what it calls a “Deep Dive” analysis on HIT issues. The effort aims to help healthcare providers learn from HIT adverse events and help prevent similar errors, according to ECRI officials.

The goal of the program is to gather information about errors with electronic medical records (EMRs), and within other areas where technology and human factors intersect.

[See also:ECRI Institute issues 2012 technology watch list for hospital execs.]

ECRI officials note that with ongoing efforts to improve healthcare, both the public and private sectors have invested heavily -- and will increasingly invest -- in health information technologies. When designed and used appropriately, HIT is expected to substantially improve the quality of patient care, performance of health professionals, reduce operational and administrative costs, and enhance patient safety. However, the use of new technologies often introduces new safety risks and with the tremendous incentive and pressure to implement EMR systems, there have been an increasing number of technology errors.

ECRI Institute PSO asked participating organizations to submit HIT-related events, including issues with electronic-medical records, lab systems, emergency department documentation systems, monitor interfaces, computerized physician order entry, smart pumps, bar coding and medication management systems.

[See also: ECRI tightens its focus on patient safety .]

The Deep Dive findings will be reported to all ECRI Institute PSO members. Summary information about these findings will also be presented in a future edition of the PSO Monthly Brief, a free eNewsletter.

ECRI Institute PSO’s first Deep Dive on medication errors uncovered a number of important process issues within hospitals. Although errors can occur during any stage of the medication process, ECRI Institute PSO facilities indicated that most events specific to one stage occurred during administration of the medication.