A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has concluded that using EMRs may lower paid malpractice settlement rates for doctors. The study concludes doctors who actively use EMRs are seeing a trend toward lower (and fewer) payouts; 6.1 percent of physicians with EMRs and 10.8 percent of those without them have paid malpractice settlements in the preceding 10 years.

This follows announcements by a small number of malpractice insurers over the past year or two that they'd charge lower rates to doctors who used EMRs, suggesting that they too have see lower payouts.

The study, which looked at survey responses from 1,140 practicing physicians in Massachusetts in 2005, compared the physicians' demographics and the length and extent of their EMR use. When it came to malpractice data, researchers compared the presence or absence of malpractice claims of doctors with or without EMRs, including only settled, paid claims.

To look at more study detail:
- read this Healthcare IT News piece

Related Articles:
EMRs show promise in easing malpractice cost
New EMR incentives--or threats?