Over the past few years, studies have shown that while many patients are embracing new medical technology that could allow them to improve their health, some doctors have been hesitant to make similar upgrades to their facilities. However, the results of a new report could lead to more facilities using eprescribing software as a way to reduce medical errors.
The study, which was conducted by researchers from Cornell University's Weill Medical College, was published on December 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, though reports had serviced earlier about its conclusions. Namely, the scientists found that roughly 212 prescribing errors occur for every 100 prescriptions that are handwritten.
This means that in every prescription form, doctors and their workers make around two errors. When legibility was factored into the survey, the number of errors rose to 36.7 per every 100 prescriptions. In total, researchers found that about one out of every three handwritten prescriptions contains an error. While many of these errors are simple mistakes, some could cause a patient to experience greater medical complications.
Still, the report left doctors with a solution that could help them reduce the number of errors they make when writing prescriptions for patients.
"The use of an e-prescribing system has the potential to reduce error rates markedly," the researchers wrote in the study. "Eprescribing systems linked with advanced CDS may have an even bigger impact, especially on errors with higher potential for harm."
As a result, doctors and small medical facilities may want to speak to a consulting firm that can evaluate the best software for any practice's needs. By founding this relationship with an experienced provider, they may also gain a valuable ally when it comes time for the facility to make the jump to Medisoft medical billing software or Allscripts EMR software.