New Sentinel Event Alert focuses on safe use of health IT

The Joint Commission’s latest Sentinel Event Alert (SEA) calls on healthcare organizations to take actions to ensure the safe use of health information technology (IT). The new alert adds on to SEA #42, published in 2008, which focused on safe implementation of health information and converging technology. Published today, SEA #54 focuses on the broader issue of health IT and suggests actions that emphasize safety culture, process improvement, and leadership.

Adverse events can result from someone entering incorrect or miscommunicated information, and sometimes technological interfaces can be a contributing factor, according to the SEA. Problems can result from the use of electronic health records (EHR) and similar technologies, but health IT can also help detect and prevent errors.

Read the SEA to see The Joint Commission’s suggested actions to increase safe health IT use.