High Rate of Missed Errors by Staff Indicates Need for Improved EHR Training

ICU clinicians reviewing patient chart data in an electronic health record (EHR) failed to identify many dangerous medical management problems, reports a study in the April 2013 issue of BMJ Open, suggesting a need for better EHR-specific training.

The aim of the researchers was to establish the role of high-fidelity simulation training in testing how effectively and safely users interface with EHRs. They did this by simulating the case of a patient staying in the ICU for five days. The simulated patient was 74 years old and diabetic, and had been admitted in septic shock with resulting acute renal failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation; recurrent sepsis developed during his stay. The simulation included information such as hourly vitals, ventilator settings, medications administered, and notes. Built into this data was evidence of 14 medical management problems for participants to identify and...