Note: Department/Column name goes in Title field followed by “:” and title of article.

Note: Department/Column name goes in Title field followed by “:” and title of article.

Medication shortages have steadily increased over the past decade due to a number of factors affecting drug supply. Perhaps the first and worst hit has been the hematology/oncology area, which has been dealing with shortages and the need to redesign chemotherapy protocols for a number of years. Within the past three years we have seen an increasing trend of drug shortages that have occurred and continue with no resolution or intermittent supplies returning to the market.

At Myrtue Medical Center (MMC), a 25-bed critical access hospital (CAH) in Harlan, Iowa. the quality improvement team had been contemplating how information technology could help the hospital deliver improved care to its patients. Even though the government’s electronic health records (EHR) incentive program had not yet been unveiled back in 2007, Myrtue’s Quality Improvement Team recognized the value of electronic health records that included advanced functionality such as computerized provider order entry.

Technological advancements often present new hazards even as they solve existing problems; electronic health records (EHRs) are no exception to that rule. CRICO—the medical malpractice insurer for the Harvard medical community and a leading patient safety resource—has expanded its coding system to capture information about incidents related to the use of EHRs. In this article, CRICO shares what it is learning about how to avoid the downside of information technology.