RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The impact of health information technology on patient safety
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 1173
OP 1180
DO 10.15537/smj.2017.12.20631
VO 38
IS 12
A1 Yasser K. Alotaibi
A1 Frank Federico
YR 2017
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/38/12/1173.abstract
AB Since the original Institute of Medicine (IOM) report was published there has been an accelerated development and adoption of health information technology with varying degrees of evidence about the impact of health information technology on patient safety. This article is intended to review the current available scientific evidence on the impact of different health information technologies on improving patient safety outcomes. We conclude that health information technology improves patient’s safety by reducing medication errors, reducing adverse drug reactions, and improving compliance to practice guidelines. There should be no doubt that health information technology is an important tool for improving healthcare quality and safety. Healthcare organizations need to be selective in which technology to invest in, as literature shows that some technologies have limited evidence in improving patient safety outcomes.