Electronic health records: Is it a risk worth taking in healthcare delivery?

Abstract

The electronic health record represents a major change in healthcare delivery, either for health professionals and health institutions, either for patients. In this essay we will mainly focus on its consequences regarding patient safety and medical liability. In this particular domain the electronic health record has dual effects: on one side prevents medical errors and, in this sense, promotes patient safety and protects the doctor from lawsuits; but, on the other side, when not used properly, it may also generate other kind of errors, potentially threatening patient safety and, therefore, increasing the risk of juridical liability for the physician. This paper intends to underline the main human errors, technologic mistakes and medical faults that may occur while using the electronic health record and the ways to overcome them, also explaining how the electronic health record may be used in court during a judicial proceeding.