UK - One in ten electronic medical records contain errors!

As reported in the UK Telegraph - July 17th, there is much dissension about the Summary Care Record. Not just relating to consent issues about uploading data to a central database without patient consent, but because the data is felt to be inaccurate or potentially misleading if relied upon. Highlighting this issue is a statement by Dr. Robert Morley, executive secretary of Birmingham Local Medical Committee, which represents local doctors. He had received a letter from Connecting for Health saying that the errors were not though to be a major problem as the Summary Care Record is not designed to be relied upon by doctors.

This brings to the fore the whole debate regarding the 'Source of Truth'. Which source is to be trusted when making clinical decisions? Is the family doctor's EMR the most reliable source of information vs. the hospital record vs. the provincial EHR? Why spend millions of dollars (or pounds) on information repositories that cannot be trusted?

Garbage in, garbage out. If the users of the various systems are not accurately codifying the data and ensuring information is kept up to date in particular relating to allergies and medications, no amount of investment is going to create a better and more accurate record.

Doctors in Birmingham have found that 10 per cent of the records that have been uploaded so far contained out-of-date information including errors on current medication patients are taking or drugs they are allergic to. These mistakes could put patients at risk if doctors relied on the information in an emergency and administered a drug they were allergic to or gave them a medicine which interacts with one they are already taking. The system must be halted as it is not safe, doctors said. So far around two million electronic patient records have been uploaded to the central database and if the error rate was the same nationwide, which doctors say is not unreasonable to presume, then around 200,000 people could be at risk from inaccurate information stored about them. GP leaders in Birmingham told Pulse magazine that the organisation running the system, Connecting for Health, knows about the error rate and has not taken action.

..... The British Medical Association has called for the Summary Care Record system to be halted while problems are solved.

One in ten electronic medical records contain errors: doctors - Telegraph

Are we facing similar problems in Canada? Click on the 'Comments' link to add your thoughts.

Comments

[David Sellers]

I don't doubt that there are errors. Even in an EMR you have to be watching for errors all the time. I think the error rate in our paper charts was about 10% before the EMR, and I would estimate it is about 0.1% now based on the number of "problems I see. We have an automated process that allows patients to create some data elements in the EMR. It is not too suprising that many patients can't even enter their own address without errors.
Anyway, one of our physicians acts as the "quality supervisor" and monthly brings up items that are not being documented correctly. As stated "garbage in and garbage out" is very true.