Question

Which of the following is the best example of using technology to improve safety and prevent errors?

(A) Providing inpatients with electronic tablets so that they can keep in better touch with the outside world
(B) Giving nursing assistants electronic tablets to ensure there's no delay in recording patients' vital signs
(C) Switching to an electronic health record (EHR) platform that is of comparable quality but lower cost
(D) Implementing redundancies, in which providers double-check each other's electronic inputs

Answer 1

The best choice for using technology to improve safety and prevent errors in healthcare is implementing redundancies for double-checking electronic inputs, hence minimizing the risk of mistakes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best example of using technology to improve safety and prevent errors among the options provided is (D) Implementing redundancies, in which providers double-check each other's electronic inputs. This measure directly addresses the potential for human error in healthcare settings by ensuring that health records and orders are accurate. It uses technology to facilitate a double-checking process, which significantly lowers the risk of mistakes that can occur when healthcare providers enter patient information or treatment orders into electronic systems. Redundancies provide an essential safety net that can prevent harmful errors in patient care.

In contrast, the other options, such as providing inpatients with electronic tablets to keep in touch with the outside world, giving nursing assistants electronic tablets for recording vital signs, or switching to a more cost-effective EHR system, while beneficial in other aspects, do not directly aim at improving safety and preventing errors as their primary goal.