The U.S. government is currently trying to promote the use of electronic medical records in hospitals across the country. This is a bipartisan effort, supported by both President Bush and President-elect Obama.
In theory, electronic medical records seem like a great way to eliminate medical mistakes resulting from the use of paper records, such as unreadable prescriptions. However, the use of electronic medical records is currently a far-from-perfect system, and in many ways, may put patients at greater risk than the current paper system does.
The use of electronic medical records in Veterans Affairs hospitals has pointed out serious problems that must be resolved before this system is used in hospitals across the nation. Between August and December 2008, computer glitches have put the healthcare of many veterans at risk.
Patients at VA medical centers received the wrong doses of drugs and had important treatments delayed because doctors received incorrect medical information for their patients. One patient was given a heparin drip for 11 hours longer than he should have – a situation that could have been fatal. Many patients’ medical records appeared under a different patient’s name on doctors’ computer screens, leading to incorrect readings of vital signs and lab results. Approximately one third of the country’s VA hospitals reported computer glitches over the past six months.
As of yet, no medical malpractice lawsuits have been filed in relation to these computer glitches. There have been no reports of patients suffering injuries or illnesses due to the computer glitches. But these glitches have the potential to cause a great deal of harm in the future if they are not corrected.
If you have suffered an injury due to a computer glitch at a VA hospital, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim. If you live in the Chicago, Illinois area, please contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.
