Adoption factors associated with patient safety-related information technology

Information technology (IT) that positively affects both quality of care and patient safety currently exists but is not used widely. This study identifies organizational and external factors associated with the adoption of patient safety-related IT (PSIT) in acute care hospitals in Florida. Factors found to be positively correlated with PSIT use included physicians' active involvement in clinical IT planning, the placement of strategic importance on IT by the organization, CIO involvement in patient safety planning, and the perception of an adequate selection of products from vendors. Other factors and implications are discussed as well.