Health Information Technology in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety: Literature Review

Abstract

BackgroundThe area of healthcare quality and patient safety is starting to use health information technology to prevent reportable events, identify them before they become issues, and act on events that are thought to be unavoidable. As healthcare organizations begin to explore the use of health information technology in this realm, it is often unclear where fiscal and human efforts should be focused.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to provide a foundation for understanding where to focus health information technology fiscal and human resources as well as expectations for the use of health information technology in healthcare quality and patient safety.MethodsA literature review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed publications reporting on the actual use of health information technology in healthcare quality and patient safety. Inductive thematic analysis with open coding was used to categorize a total of 41 studies. Three pre-set categories were used: prevention, identification, and action. Three additional categories were formed through coding: challenges, outcomes, and location.ResultsThis study identifies five main categories across seven study settings. A majority of the studies used health IT for identification and prevention of healthcare quality and patient safety issues. In this realm, alerts, clinical decision support, and customized health IT solutions were most often implemented. Implementation, interface design, and culture were most often noted as challenges.ConclusionsThis study provides valuable information as organizations determine where they stand to get the most “bang for their buck” relative to health IT for quality and patient safety. Knowing what implementations are being effectivity used by other organizations helps with fiscal and human resource planning as well as managing expectations relative to cost, scope, and outcomes. The findings from this scan of the literature suggest that having organizational champion leaders that can shepherd implementation, impact culture, and bridge knowledge with developers would be a valuable resource allocation to consider.

Uso de tecnologías de la información en la gestión de un centro de medicina integrativa especializado en adicciones

“…La adopción de una TIC no es una tarea fácil, pero su aplicación resulta en numerosos beneficios para la institución. En este contexto, los procesos o actividades de cada colaborador son sumamente importantes, ya que el sistema al ir evolucionando y volviéndose más complejo necesita una estrecha interacción con los actores que lo alimentan [3] . Todo esto no hace más que resaltar la riqueza de datos y procesos en los cuales estamos inmersos.…”

“…En el ámbito hospitalario, los sistemas de información en salud, que incluyen la captura, intercambio, almacenamiento, acceso y gestión de la información clínica, han adquirido un rol fundamental en los procesos, contribuyendo a la calidad y eficiencia de la atención de salud (2) . La contribución de las TIC al progreso de las ciencias de la salud engloba un tratamiento sistemático de datos, información y conocimiento en el entorno sanitario con beneficios en cuanto a disminución de los errores al momento de registrar la información, mejoramiento en la comunicación entre los miembros del equipo y en el acceso a la información clínica (3) .…”

Medizinische Datenhaltung – Ansatz, Konzepte, strategische und operative Implikationen

“…As in many critical change projects of large collaborative organizations, a continuous intensive communication must have highest priority. Multiplicators on each hierarchic level and in all organizational units or responsibilities are indispensable elements helping to transport the change momentum into the organization in a powerful and sustainable way [146,147]. Since electronic patient records are conceived as interdisciplinary database, the project of conception and implementation has to include all disciplines [148].…”

Advancing laboratory medicine in hospitals through health information exchange: a survey of specialist physicians in Canada

“…A recent study found that among seven countries, Canada ranked second in terms of physician self-reported errors in laboratory and diagnostic processes, as well as delays in reporting abnormal results [7]. One way to improve the quality and safety of patient care is to emphasize prevention and error management using well-designed information technology (IT) systems [8,9]. Indeed, the laboratory testing process involves the constant exchange of information among patients, physicians, nurses, and laboratory specialists which, nowadays, is supported by multiple IT systems and platforms [10].…”

“…Missing laboratory results may have considerable consequences for patients and are due to several factors: (1) the systems and practices used to monitor test results, (2) the management of critical results, and (3) care transitions across settings [10]. To prevent medical errors [8], medical laboratories have deployed laboratory information systems (LIS) with user-friendly interfaces, etracking tools and electronic alerts [5,11], computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and clinical decision support capabilities [12]. These systems empower laboratory specialists to enhance the interpretation of test results in order to better support physicians in their quest for better and safer patient care [5].…”