Ebola and the EMR

When I heard about the Ebola case in Texas, I was impressed that the doctor made the diagnosis. But according to The Healthcare Blog, the diagnosis was missed and the patient was sent home. Two days later a family member called the CDC and was told to bring the patient back to the ER.

The hospital blamed the diagnostic failure on the fact that a nurse wrote down the patient’s travel history in the nurse’s portion of the EMR and this is separate from the doctor’s portion.

Bottom line: Don’t expect your nurse or your computer to make the diagnosis for you. Take your own history.

http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2014/10/03/hospital-blames-bad-ehr-design-for-ebola-case/