Top 10 Health Technology Hazards Report for 2013

Three hazards involve health IT system-related technologies

While today's health technology advances provide countless new ways to improve patient care, some also create new opportunities for harm. And with the evolution of health care information technology systems such as electronic health records, there's a growing level of complexity and opportunity for error.

ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit organization that researches approaches to improving patient care, announces the release of its
Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list for 2013. The 24-page report is available as a free download with registration.

Now in its 6th year of publication, the annual top 10 list is designed to raise awareness of the potential dangers associated with the use of medical devices and systems. The list features key topics that warrant particular attention for the coming year with actionable recommendations on addressing them.

Five of the top 10 hazards explained in ECRI Institute's report are:

1. Alarm hazards
2. Medication administration errors using infusion pumps
3. Unnecessary radiation exposures and radiation burns during diagnostic radiology procedures
4. Patient/data mismatches in EHRs and other IT systems
5. Interoperability failures with medical devices and health IT systems