I should add that amid the implementation of a brand new EHR and its distractions, added clinician clerical tasks and work flow changes for clinicians, any defects are indeed distractions that can impact patient care.

Here are other perhaps more obvious examples of distractions that can impact care:

http://tinyurl.com/b28s74

Do you recognize the arrogance in IT personnel telling physicians what does and does not distract them?

It seems plaintiff’s attorneys will make short work of IT personnel when such attitudes are exhibited and profiled.

If you actually read the complaint – the good doctor’s adverse outcome refers to the fact that he isn’t getting paid at the higher E&M code. The issue in the complaint is that the E&M coder was not working in the Touchworks application – a breach of trust and contract but certainly not impacting patient care.

Non-functional system – I can buy, but please don’t cloak your outrage as impacting patient care which close to 100% of the people on this site think when you refer to “adverse outcomes”.

“Hey Doc Silverstein, you should lay off the coffee before someone sues you for your “potentially distracting” HIStalk posting habit that “could likely lead to adverse outcomes”

Dear Anon,

Your comment is stupid.