Addressing Fears of Malpractice Using CPOE System

Given the state of the current malpractice system as briefly described in the article http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w4.534/DC1 , there is a legitimate fear of being sued for a medical error that was not entirely the fault of one physician. The largest cause of errors tends to fall on the fact that there is a highly fragmented system of care being delivered to patients by several providers without the ability to effectively communicate between one another. CPOE systems can help bridge the communication gaps that occur and help ensure the safety of the patient by eliminating harmful or fatal consequences due to lack of direct communication.
As an example, “Errors of medication use are among the most common types of medical errors and include mistakes of prescribing, dispensing, administering, or monitoring medications.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=aps.section.2364

If using a CPOE system, these mistakes can be eliminated by the functions that the system provides. “CPOE uses clinical decision support systems and links to hospital systems to generate prompts and alerts during the ordering session to notify of potential errors such as contra-indicated medications or routes or duplicate orders.” http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/Publications/ihp/CPOE.pdf
In summary, the potential for the most common medical errors can be significantly decreased by the use of a CPOE system.