Committee Opinion No. 472: Patient Safety and the Electronic Health Record

The electronic health record (EHR) has the potential to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care when fully implemented, yet adoption of this tool has been slow. The advantages of the EHR include facilitating improved communication between health care providers; assisting with medication safety, tracking, and reporting; and promoting quality of care through optimized compliance with guidelines. Despite obstacles to widespread adoption and implementation, use of the EHR as a real-time, evidence-based support tool can help busy obstetrician–gynecologists improve the quality of the care they provide through improved care coordination, communication, and documentation.