National EHR safety system launched

The iHealth Alliance, a not-for-profit organization composed of medical society and professional liability carrier executives in collaboration with federal agencies and PDR Network, publisher of the Physicians’ Desk Reference, have formed a new EHR safety reporting system.

EHRevent.org establishes a national system where physicians and other healthcare providers can report issues related to the implementation and use of EHRs.

Using a standardized online format, EHRevent will collect reports from physicians and other healthcare providers who use EHRs and create reports that medical societies, professional liability carriers and government agencies, such as the FDA, can use to help educate providers on the potential challenges that EHR systems may bring, stated iHealth Alliance.

The system can be accessed directly via the internet here and also integrated into the web sites of participating liability carriers, medical societies, PDR Network and other partners, including EHR system vendors.

EHRevent was modeled after other national reporting systems, including the system used in the aviation industry, and its reports include issues related to software problems, inadequate user training, security breaches and near-misses.

Reports will be confidential but used to better understand challenges associated with the adoption and implementation of EHRs and to improve patient safety.

EHRevent is also working directly with EHR vendors as well as Regional Extension Centers (RECs), federally designated groups that assist physicians with EHR selection and adoption. Participating EHR vendors and RECs will help educate physicians regarding the importance of EHR event reporting and will receive reports as EHRevent partners.

Data collected by EHRevent will also be used by the FDA to help evaluate any safety issues that may arise during the widespread implementation of this technology.

EHRevent and a similar service for reporting adverse drug events via EHRs will be governed by the iHealth Alliance, with network operations provided by PDR Network.

 

 

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