Patient safety is critically important. As graduates enter the medical profession each year, they often recite a promise. Whether it’s the Hippocratic Oath or an updated variation that addresses today’s most pressing issues, they include a commitment to keeping patients safe.
A Far Cry From “Do No Harm”
The truth is that patient safety has a long way to go. Consider the facts:
- One in 5 Americans has experienced a medical error while receiving healthcare (Institute for Healthcare Improvement/NORC at the University of Chicago).
- Medical errors are a leading cause of death in the United States (National Center for Biotechnology Information).
- Medical errors result in the death of between 44,000 and 98,000 patients every year (the National Academy of Medicine).
We need to do better.
The Role of EHRs in Patient Safety
So what can be done to protect patients better?
EHRs are designed to improve patient safety by identifying potential issues, which enables clinicians to resolve them quickly and avoid any consequences for patients.
But even using a well-known EHR does not necessarily translate to improved patient safety. According to Healthcare IT News, the second-most popular EHR received some of the lowest safety scores.
How Manual Testing Puts Patient Safety on the Line
JAMA Network discovered that EHR systems meet only the most basic safety standards less than 70% of the time. How is this possible? If you’re testing your EHR manually, there are a few reasons:
1. Prone to Human Error
Manual testing relies on people to accurately input and check information. But that doesn’t always happen. An error-ridden manual test can result in incorrect patient documentation, creating a risk of patients receiving the wrong treatment plans or an inaccurate diagnosis due to missing information.
2. Insufficient and Inefficient
Before an EHR go-live, you need to test your system to identify and correct any issues. But the time and effort to run test scripts manually is burdensome. Some bugs don’t manifest themselves until you’ve tested 50 or 60 times, which you can’t do with manual testing because it takes too long. So how are you going to find those errors? The answer is, you don’t.
3. Labor Intensive and Distracting
Manual testing demands an incredible amount of time, energy, and focus. It requires a dedicated IT team to run the testing, with other staff members also getting pulled into the process. Clinicians have to leave patients and cannot give them the thorough attention and comprehensive care they often need.
How Test Automation Improves Patient Safety
At SureTest, we transform your EHR, third-party, and enterprise application testing into super-streamlined, efficient processes which greatly benefit patient safety. Here are a few examples of how automation makes a difference:
1. Reduces Human Errors
According to Science Direct, by customizing EHRs based on physician needs, fewer errors occur, boosting patient safety and efficiency. SureTest leverages a powerful tool — SurePersona® engine — that rapidly emulates each team member’s precise functions for every use case. And we account for every patient journey and related workflow.
Our modular, flexible framework — SureMethod® — adapts to perfectly fit your workflows so you can always employ the most up-to-date protocols. And our most comprehensive collection of automated test scripts — SureWorks® Library — is constantly updated and customized to every workflow in your organization.
2. Drastically Improves Testing Quality and Efficiency
With automated testing, you can test at a much higher volume and many more times before an EHR go-live. It means finding bugs that would otherwise go undetected until they create a problem. With SureTest, you’ll have complete confidence that your system is ready to store and deliver accurate patient information.
SureTest also allows you to test continuously, which is critical for patient safety and essential for saving lives. Even amid system change, you can keep rigorous testing a priority.
3. Reduces Clinician Burnout
SureTest eliminates up to 80% or more of manual testing activities, which allows you to optimize your staff with just a few QA specialists occasionally required. Your IT staff can focus on more strategic projects, and clinicians no longer need to get pulled into manual testing activities. It frees them to focus on delivering care, reducing stress, increasing morale, and boosting job satisfaction. Not only that, but less burnout means decreased medical errors.
Commit to Protecting Patients
By automating your EHR, third-party, and enterprise application testing processes, you can significantly improve patient safety and ensure the well-being of your community.
What’s Next
Ready to discover more? Dive into our resources to learn more about how SureTest is a game-changer for improving patient safety.