Patient safety and health information technology conceptual framework

Abstract

Health information technology (HIT) refers to the deployment of electronic systems health care professionals and patients use to store, share, and analyze health information to improve patient safety and outcomes. Some of the best practices to heighten HIT use include procuring and analyzing data, prioritizing interoperability, building dynamic content, accounting for evolving patient expectations, recognizing the human element, and respect for the patient as the health consumer. Providers should target patients with the appropriate HIT information that is tailored to their needs and circumstances. Thus, careful evaluation is required to ensure it meets the needs of the patients. In this paper, we describe the current state of electronic health records use in Canada along with a patient safety and technology conceptual framework. We use this framework and metal hypersensitivity, a medical device-related adverse event, to highlight how health information technology can be leveraged to create a learning health system and enhance patient safety.