Carnegie Mellon study links EMR use to 30% reduction in Rx errors

Advanced EMRs can significantly impact patient safety, reducing medication error-related events by 30 percent as well as events caused by complications by 25 percent, according to a study from Cargenie Mellon University published in the Social Science Research Network.

The researchers constructed a panel of Pennsylvania hospitals over 2005-2012 using data from several sources, including confidential patient safety data from the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority (PSA). Since 2004, the state has required hospitals to disclose a variety of patient safety events to the PSA, according to the study.

Overall, the study linked advanced EMRs to a 27 percent decline in patient safety events.

“Our results hold against a number of robustness checks, including, but not limited to, falsification test with non-clinical IT and falsification test with a subcategory of events that is not expected to benefit from advanced EMRs,” wrote the authors. “Overall, we provide evidence to policymakers, hospital administrators and other stakeholders that hospitals' adoption of advanced EMRs improves patient safety.”