Although most of the health industry has moved records and administrative processes from paper to digital, human error remains a costly issue.
People make errors. Generally speaking, this fact is collectively understood, and we make concessions when necessary, working to repair and correct when possible. However, in the health industry, human errors become more costly than the norm, ultimately impacting the well being of patients, even to the point of death. In fact, a recent study released by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine concluded that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, leading to at least 250,000 deaths every year. Read the full article.
The majority of errors were attributed to the human-computer interface, workflow and communication, and clinical content, Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority says.
