Implementation of a health information technology safety classification system in the Veterans Health Administration’s Informatics Patient Safety Office

Abstract

Objective: Implement the 5-type health information technology (HIT) patient safety concern classification system for HIT patient safety issues reported to the Veterans Health Administration’s Informatics Patient Safety Office. Materials and methods: A team of informatics safety analysts retrospectively classified 1 year of HIT patient safety issues by type of HIT patient safety concern using consensus discussions. The processes established during retrospective classification were then applied to incoming HIT safety issues moving forward. Results: Of 140 issues retrospectively reviewed, 124 met the classification criteria. The majority were HIT failures (eg, software defects) (33.1%) or configuration and implementation problems (29.8%). Unmet user needs and external system interactions accounted for 20.2% and 10.5%, respectively. Absence of HIT safety features accounted for 2.4% of issues, and 4% did not have enough information to classify. Conclusion: The 5-type HIT safety concern classification framework generated actionable categories helping organizations effectively respond to HIT patient safety risks.