Many hospital patients are harmed due to computer errors

Computer errors result in injury, and even death, to many hospital patients every year. From medication errors resulting from incorrectly entered orders to unnecessary operations resulting from mis-typed diagnoses, patients suffer at the hands of computers.

While the electronic medical record is touted as a great stride forward in medical care, it also contributes to mistakes which can be very costly for the patient, both in terms of his health and his pocketbook. For instance, a bill can be inflated by hundreds and even thousands of dollars by a misplaced decimal point. And it''s just as likely that treatment can be jeopardized by a misplaced decimal point in lab values or prescription dosage.