Physicians See EHRs as Help against Lawsuits, According to New Survey by Medical Economics and The Doctors Company
Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey—July 6, 2007—Physicians believe that electronic health records (EHRs) can help protect them from malpractice suits, according to a new survey conducted by Medical Economics, a national magazine that covers physician practice management issues, and The Doctors Company, a leading national physician-owned malpractice insurer.
Based on responses from 548 physicians, doctors believe that EHRs are most likely to provide protection through more comprehensive records; automatic alerts about drug interactions, allergies, and other medical information; instantaneous and remote access to records; better communication between staff and clinicians, and clearer communication between referring and specialty physicians.
“The threat of lawsuits affects doctors’ practices as well as malpractice insurance premiums, but EHRs may lessen the chance that a medical error will occur or that a lawsuit will be successful,” says Leslie Kane, Editor-in-chief of Medical Economics.
Nearly half (46.3 percent) of the respondents ranked automatic alerts as the first, second, or third biggest factor among the EHR features that could help reduce liability risk. These results contrast with a recent Archives of Internal Medicine study of EHR use among Massachusetts physicians, showing that many of them turn off automatic alerts. Physicians have told Medical Economics that EHR alerts tend to pop up when they shouldn’t, distracting them when they’re seeing patients.
Asked which feature of EHR usage might actually increase their malpractice risk, over a quarter of the respondents named system crashes that would cause them to lose access to records. A percentage of respondents also feared that EHRs could increase their malpractice risk by diverting them from patients’ signs and symptoms, and some were afraid they might accidentally create false documentation through charting by exception. Few doctors worry that clinical guidelines and alerts imbedded in EHRs will require them to meet a higher standard of care.
“Clearly, although doctors are becoming more comfortable with the potential risk management benefits of EHRs, there’s still a level of concern which needs to be addressed,” says Kane.
About 35 percent of the physician respondents already have an EHR, and another 30 percent plan to acquire one in the next 12 months. Better documentation, improved access to records, and improved quality of care are the top reasons that respondents plan to buy an EHR.
Nearly half the survey respondents are primary care physicians in practice for more than 20 years. About 75 percent are male, and 25 percent are located in California. The respondents do not form a nationally representative sample of physicians.
“This study points to a fast-emerging trend in health care with real potential to improve patient care and safety as well as the practice environment for the physician,” said David Troxel, MD, medical director of The Doctors Company. “As a physician insurer, we encourage the adoption of both the EHR and Personal Health Record (PHR).”
To see the complete survey results, go to www.memag.com/ehrrisk.
About Medical Economics
Medical Economics (www.memag.com), based in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, has been providing physicians with practice management and financial information since 1923. The magazine is in the forefront of reporting trends and developments in healthcare and physician practices.
About The Doctors Company
Founded by doctors for doctors in 1976 to advance, protect, and reward the practice of good medicine, The Doctors Company (www.thedoctors.com) is the nation’s leading physician-owned medical malpractice insurer. With $2.2 billion in assets and A- ratings by A.M. Best Company and Fitch Ratings, The Doctors Company enjoys a reputation as the industry vanguard.
