How do electronic health records reduce medical errors?
Electronic Health Records EHR technologies can help prevent medical errors by flagging potential drug interactions and/or adverse reactions. The majority of drug prescription errors are caused by:
Prescription of drugs that interact with other drugs (prescription or over-the-counter)
Common foods that a patient may consume while taking a particular medication
Prescribing a drug to a patient who is allergic or who has experienced an adverse reaction to it
Failure to fully recognize and consider potentially dangerous side effects based on a specific patient's medical history
Incorrect dosage or recommendations for frequency of dosage