The Effect of Health Information Technology on Patient Safety and Clinical Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review

Background: Healthcare systems face significant challenges related to medical errors and adverse events. Health information technology (HIT) offers potential solutions by improving healthcare systems. This study investigated the impact of HIT on patient safety, addressing challenges associated with medical errors and adverse events. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using scientific databases up to September 2020. A total of 138 articles were retrieved, of which 38 aligned with the study’s objectives. HIT aspects analyzed included radio frequency identification (RFID), computerized physician order entry (CPOE), clinical decision support system (CDSS), health information system (HIS), information technology (IT), and electronic health record (EHR). The study examined HIT’s influence on patient safety factors such as medical-pharmaceutical errors, the care process, care volume and workflow, quality of care, side effects, and readmissions. A data collection form was designed for electronic data extraction, capturing key information. Extracted data were then analyzed and reported accordingly. Results: Regardless of HIT type, 29% of studies reported positive impacts, 31.6% somewhat positive, 36.8% required further investigation, and 2.6% with no positive effect on patient safety. Positive studies highlighted benefits such as reduced medication errors, improved diagnostics, accelerated services, error reduction, and enhanced patient safety. However, studies with negative findings cited drawbacks, including patient misidentification, inaccurate drug dosage calculations, partial information access, system dependence, and high implementation costs. Conclusion: Overall, HIT interventions are beneficial. However, given their broad scope, focused studies on individual technologies are necessary to facilitate more in-depth analysis and evaluation.