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ECONOMICS, EDUCATION, AND HEALTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH

Do Anesthesia Information Systems Increase Malpractice Exposure? Results of a Survey

Department of Anesthesiology, Drexel College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Jeffrey M. Feldman, MD, MSE, Department of Anesthesiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Anesthesia information systems (AIS) record data from patient monitors and create a detailed electronic anesthesia record. Because the anesthesia record is a primary piece of evidence used in court during a malpractice proceeding, the ability to create an anesthesia record has fostered considerable debate concerning the impact of this method of record keeping on malpractice exposure. Fifty-five departments using AIS were surveyed to document their medicolegal experience with electronic anesthesia records. Twenty-four departments responded to the survey, 18 of which had more than 5 yr experience with the technology. Respondents reported 41 malpractice cases filed since adopting AIS technology. Of the cases filed, 30 were dropped, and 11 went on to settlement or litigation. There were no reported cases in which the automated record hindered the defense process. Eighteen respondents viewed this technology as valuable for risk management, and three more viewed it as essential. The experience reported by these departments indicates that AIS are useful for managing malpractice risk.

IMPLICATIONS: A survey of departments using an anesthesia information system for anesthesia record keeping suggests that these systems are useful for managing malpractice risk and do not increase malpractice exposure.

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