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Nurses Point to Medical Device Interactions to Reduce Mistakes

Caregivers assert time spent managing technology could be better spent attending to patients

Hospitals and medical offices are constantly adopting and upgrading technology like electronic health records and diagnostic equipment. Unfortunately, these devices do not always communicate efficiently with one another, if at all, and this deficiency could be leading to increased medical errors. A survey conducted by the West Health Institute revealed that one in two nurses witnessed a medical error due to poor device interoperability.

The survey had some distinctly concerning information. Seventy-two percent of nurses work with two or more electronic devices on a regular basis, and 41 percent reported spending three or more hours every shift coordinating these devices. Unsurprisingly, 91 percent of the nurses polled believed that they would spend more hands-on time with patients if they could reduce the time required to manage these devices.

This loss of time with patients is concerning. At what point does a facility have too much technology? If the time spent interfacing with devices outweighs productive time spent treating patients, or if it leads to more mistakes during treatment, then the convenience of these devices is no longer worth the cost. Likewise, patients need to ask themselves if a facility boasting the latest technology is truly the best choice, if they don’t know how to use that technology efficiently.

When mistakes do happen in the course of treatment, patients and their attorneys should look at the facility’s technology management. The patient may have been a victim of negligence due to digital distractions, leading to a missed diagnosis, communication failure or incorrect treatment. Digital distraction doesn’t just refer to health care providers paying more attention to their hand held devices (phones, tablets, etc.) than their patients. It also refers to the distraction of coordinating multiple medical devices that are not fully compatible or integrated.

The Ohio medical malpractice attorneys at The Eisen Law Firm encourage anyone who has suffered due to a medical mistake to contact them at their Cleveland office. The medical negligence attorneys at The Eisen Law Firm take a dedicated and caring approach to every case, providing tenacious representation and compassionate legal advice to every client.

About The Eisen Law Firm

The Eisen Law Firm, a Cleveland, Ohio law firm focused exclusively on medical malpractice law and wrongful death, has significant experience and success representing victims suffering a wide range of medical malpractice injuries, including birth injuries, brain and spinal cord injuries, surgical and hospital mistakes, diagnosis and treatment errors and other matters. The firm is located at 1300 East 9th Street, Suite 1200, Cleveland OH 44114. Additional information about The Eisen Law Firm and attorney Brian N. Eisen may be obtained by calling 216-687-0900 or visiting the firm’s website at www.MalpracticeOhio.com.