Technological Iatrogenesis

Technology may introduce new sources of error Technologically induced errors are significant and increasingly more evident in care delivery systems. Terms to describe this new area of error production include the label technological iatrogenesis for the process and e-iatrogenic for the individual error. The sources for these errors include:
Prescriber and staff inexperience may lead to a false sense of security; that when technology suggests a course of action, errors are avoided.
Shortcut or default selections can override non-standard medication regimens for elderly or underweight patients, resulting in toxic doses.
CPOE and automated drug dispensing was identified as a cause of error by 84% of over 500 health care facilities participating in a surveillance system by the United States Pharmacopoeia.
Irrelevant or frequent warnings can interrupt work flow.
Healthcare information technology can also result in iatrogenesis if design and engineering are substandard, as illustrated in a 14-part detailed analysis done at the University of Sydney.