Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Law Firm

Medical Malpractice Rates Down In Hospitals That Use Electronic Records

    The use of electronic records in hospitals and doctor’s offices has proven to be a huge help for doctors and hospitals during medical malpractice lawsuits. It was found in studies done that doctor’s who used electronic records were 4.7% more likely to reach settlements than doctor’s who did not use electronic records. This is because the use of electronic medical records given doctor’s easy access to a patient’s records which include allergies, previous health problems, and even the patients history. Having easy access to this valuable information can help doctors avoid malpractice suits because having the information electronic makes it easier to read, and record to avoid simple mistakes that may cause an allergic reaction or death which could be cause for a medical malpractice suit. Everyone has been to the doctor’s office, often you see them scribble something down with a pen on a chart, by using electronic records this writing would be legible and much easier to read instead of doctor’s having to guess about what they wrote. Also, the use of electronic medical records will help pharmacists fill prescriptions more easily because they wont have to guess at what the doctor wrote on the prescription pad. This study confirms previous studies done linking the decreasing rate of medical malpractice suits with electronic records. For doctor’s offices and hospitals that are trying to avoid medical malpractice suits electronic records may be the way to go, they will not only keep patients more safe, but will also help the doctors keep reliable records.