The nature of unintended effects of Health Information Systems concerning patient safety: A systematic review with thematic synthesis

In order to understand the nature and causes through which
Health Information Systems (HIS) can affect patient safety
negatively, a systematic review with thematic synthesis of the
qualitative studies was performed. 26 papers met our criteria
and were included into content analysis. 40 error contributing
factors in working with HIS were recognized. Upon which, 4
main categories of contributing factors were defined. Analysis
of the semantic relation between contributing reasons and
common types of errors in healthcare practice revealed 6
mechanisms that can function as secondary contributing
reasons. Results of this study can support care providers,
system designers, and system implementers to avoid
unintended negative effects for patient safety.