CNA Releases New White Paper on Electronic Medical Records

Finding Solutions to Clinical and Litigation Risks/Practical Applications in the Emergency Department

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Oct 16, 2017, 14:37 ET

CHICAGO, Oct. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Findings released in a white paper produced by CNA, a leading provider of insurance solutions and risk management services for healthcare organizations and professionals, concludes that an "optimized" electronic medical record may reduce diagnosis-related professional liability claims in the emergency department.

Adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) has accelerated since the 2009 enactment of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (the "HITECH Act"). EMR use offers the healthcare industry many potential benefits, including real-time access to patient information, clinical decision support and alerts, greater legibility of notes, and interfaces with ancillary services designed to improve the overall quality and coordination of care.

"In our work with hospital clients, we often hear about the challenges as well as the advantages of EMR use," said Chris Heckman, Vice President, Underwriting, CNA Healthcare. "Unfortunately, these electronic health record systems have not always been designed with patient safety and risk management considerations as their paramount objectives. As a result, the limitations of this technology, and the negative habits it can engender among users, must be acknowledged as potentially affecting both quality of care and legal defensibility in the event of a claim or lawsuit."

The new white paper examines major EMR-related issues and presents strategies designed to help protect patients, ensure quality of care and minimize liability exposures. The white paper includes contributions from The Sullivan Group, which demonstrate how a guidance-based EMR program can strengthen patient safety and risk control initiatives in emergency medicine by enhancing both diagnostic decision-making and documentation.

"Awareness of basic EMR risks can provide opportunities for organizational and medical staff leadership to adopt appropriate procedural and technical safeguards to avert or mitigate them," said Joyce Benton, Assistant Vice President, Risk Control, CNA Healthcare. "Even an employee's simple use of the copy and paste function of EMR systems creates patient safety and compliance challenges. The goal is to ensure that EMR technology serves as a problem-solver, rather than a problem-creator."

Download the full report at www.cna.com/healthcare.

About CNA
CNA is the eighth largest commercial insurer in the United States. CNA provides a broad range of standard and specialized property and casualty insurance products and services for businesses and professionals in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia, backed by 120 years of experience and more than $45 billion of assets. For more information about CNA visit our website at www.cna.com.

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CONTACT:
Brandon Davis, 312-822-5167 / 312-834-6091
Sarah Pang, 312-822-6394 / 312-607-5544

SOURCE CNA Financial