Defining health information technology-related errors: new developments since to err is human.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Patient Safety Research
• Sociotechnical Systems Analysis

Background:

• Health Information Technology (HIT) adoption promises benefits but introduces potential patient safety hazards.
• Recent literature highlights safety concerns linked to HIT implementation and use.
• The Office of the National Coordinator for HIT convened a committee to review evidence on HIT's impact on patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a framework for defining, measuring, and analyzing safety hazards related to HIT.
• To propose a comprehensive definition of HIT-related error.
• To explore the origins of HIT-related errors using a sociotechnical perspective.

Main Methods:

• Literature synthesis and expert committee review.
• Development of a conceptual model for HIT-related error.
• Application of a sociotechnical approach to analyze error causation.

Main Results:

• HIT-related error is defined as occurring when HIT is unavailable, malfunctions, is used incorrectly, or interacts improperly with other systems.
• These errors can lead to data loss, incorrect data entry, display, or transmission.
• The study identifies potential roots of HIT errors in technological, professional, organizational, and policy domains.

Conclusions:

• HIT-related errors significantly elevate the risk of adverse events and patient harm.
• A sociotechnical approach is crucial for understanding the multifaceted origins of HIT errors.
• Addressing HIT safety requires considering the interplay of technology, users, organizations, and policy.