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@article{Martin:2019:10.1016/s2589-7500(19)30057-3,
author = {Martin, G and Ghafur, S and Cingolani, I and Symons, J and King, D and Arora, S and Darzi, A},
doi = {10.1016/s2589-7500(19)30057-3},
journal = {The Lancet Digital Health},
pages = {e127--e135},
title = {The effects and preventability of 2627 patient safety incidents related to health information technology failures: a retrospective analysis of 10 years of incident reporting in England and Wales},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s2589-7500(19)30057-3},
volume = {1},
year = {2019}
}

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TY  - JOUR
AB  - BackgroundThe use of health information technology (IT) is rapidly increasing to support improvements in the delivery of care. Although health IT is delivering huge benefits, new technology can also introduce unique risks. Despite these risks, evidence on the preventability and effects of health IT failures on patients is scarce. In our study we therefore sought to evaluate the preventability and effects of health IT failures by examining patient safety incidents in England and Wales.MethodsWe designed our study as a retrospective analysis of 10 years of incident reporting in England and Wales. We used text mining with the words “computer”, “system”, “workstation”, and “network” to explore free-text incident descriptors to identify incidents related to health IT failures following a previously described approach. We then applied an n-gram model of searching to identify contiguous sequences of words and provide spatial context. We examined incident details, recorded harm, and preventability. Standard descriptive statistics were applied. Degree of harm was identified according to standardised definitions and preventability was assessed by two independent reviewers.FindingsWe identified 2627 incidents related to health IT failures. 2557 (97%) of 2627 incidents were assessed for harm (70 incidents were excluded). 2106 (82%) of 2557 health IT failures caused no harm to patients, 331 (13%) caused low harm, 102 (4%) caused moderate harm, 14 (1%) caused severe harm, and four (<1%) contributed to the death of a patient. 1964 (75%) of 2627 incidents were deemed to be preventable.InterpretationHealth IT is fundamental to the delivery of high-quality care, yet there is a poor understanding of the effects of IT failures on patient safety and whether they can be prevented. Failures are complex and involve interlinked aspects of technology, people, and the environment. Health IT failures are undoubtedly a potential source of subst
AU  - Martin,G
AU  - Ghafur,S
AU  - Cingolani,I
AU  - Symons,J
AU  - King,D
AU  - Arora,S
AU  - Darzi,A
DO  - 10.1016/s2589-7500(19)30057-3
EP  - 135
PY  - 2019///
SN  - 2589-7500
SP  - 127
TI  - The effects and preventability of 2627 patient safety incidents related to health information technology failures: a retrospective analysis of 10 years of incident reporting in England and Wales
T2  - The Lancet Digital Health
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s2589-7500(19)30057-3
UR  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589750019300573?via%3Dihub
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/73963
VL  - 1
ER  -

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