New IOM report examines health IT to improve patient safety

The federal government is investing billions of dollars to encourage hospitals and health care providers to adopt health information technology so that all Americans can benefit from the use of electronic health records by 2014. However, concerns about potential harm are emerging as providers increasingly rely on electronic medical records, secure patient portals, and other information technologies to deliver care.

'HEALTH IT AND PATIENT SAFETY: BUILDING SAFER SYSTEMS FOR BETTER CARE,' a new report from the Institute of Medicine, examines a broad range of these technologies and recommends actions that the government, health care providers, and technology vendors should take to improve patient safety.