Morning Headlines 6/24/14

An analysis of electronic health record-related patient safety concerns

A study published in JAMIA analyzes 100 EHR-related patient safety investigations conducted within the VA between 2009 and 2013 and find that 74 stemmed from unsafe technology, while another 25 stemmed from unsafe use of technology. The study points to poorly designed clinical screens within the EHR as the most common technology failure, followed by: improperly configured software introduced to the live environment after a system upgrade; multi-system interfaces introducing erroneous data into the patient chart; and hidden dependencies within the systems triggering unwanted changes to patient care, such as medications being automatically discontinued in the background because a patient was transferred from an outpatient to an inpatient status. The study also warned that “EHR-related safety concerns involving both unsafe technology and unsafe use of technology persist long after go-live.”

Massachusetts paying $35M to end contract

Massachusetts will pay CGI Group, the contractor responsible for its failed health insurance exchange, $35 million to conclude the contract and part ways.

$800,000 HIPAA settlement in medical records dumping case

Parkview Health System agrees to pay a $800,000 HIPAA settlement after inadvertently leaving 71 boxes of patient medical records unsecured in a local physician’s driveway. Employees were trying to deliver the medical records to a local physician’s house, but when they arrived and found no one home, they stacked the boxes in his driveway and left.