Computerized medical and health records can help prevent some cases of medical malpractice or hospital error. Most of the world has been moving over to computerized record keeping for many years now. The medical world has been making the switch as well. There are many reasons for adopting electronic medical recording, including documenting proper patient care to prevent
medical malpractice lawsuits and medical errors. However, some healthcare advocates say that there are doctors, nurses and entire hospitals that are hesitant to make the switch. Safety advocates say that this puts patients at increased risk for illness and injury due to a myriad of medical mistakes that can occur with paper records, including sloppy handwriting, forgetting a patient's allergies or simply a mistake in copying lab results. However, a New York medical malpractice lawyer notes that adding technology into hospitals and healthcare can actually put patients at higher risk for
medical malpractice injury if not done correctly. Reports have shown that doctors and nurses can become too distracted by cell phones, texting, social media and the internet in general. This can lead to a medical error and mistakes, such as a doctor that forgets to complete a task or a nurse that neglects taking care of her patients while they are distracted. Some advocates say that this is similar to a driver that is talking on a cell phone or texting while driving - it can easily lead to medical negligence. Find out more about the pros and cons of mobile devices in healthcare
here.
