[dsclough]

A nurse was unable to give my wife medication while in labor because the barcode on the bag of drugs wouldn’t scan. Fortunately we just had to wait another 20 minutes to get a new bag from the pharmacy but I can easily imagine a world where doctors are unable to perform procedures they are physically capable of doing because of liability surrounding not using the computer systems as intended. Epic particularly has really done a number on the healthcare system.

[throwaway3306a]

I really, sincerely don't understand that. How does an unscannable barcode prevent a doctor/nurse from administering medicine they are holding in their hands?

[sigmoid10]

The other commenter already said it: Liability. What if the scan is part of a procedure that ensures that the right drug is given to the right patient? Giving someone the wrong drug or even the wrong dose can cause serious harm. Imagine they kill someone that way and then during the investigation it turns out the they didn't scan the meds. It doesn't matter why they didn't scan it (lazy, forgetful, computer problem), it is en enormous legal risk for every party involved. Thousands of people die each year because of medical errors, so trying to prevent doctors from killing people by using strict procedures is very important. Even if it means that in extreme situations like this the procedure can cause harm as well. Overall it will save many, many more people than it will kill.

[shouldbeone]

It doesn't. We do this all this time in rapid responses and cardiac arrest scenarios, when we can't wait for an order in the EHR; someone keeps track of the medications, doses and rough times of administration, and it's entered into the EHR later.

[toldyouso2022]

Because the law doesn't want to do its job anymore, so it created useless bureaucracy to make their lives easier and human life hell

[tzs]

If the barcode wouldn't scan there it might also have not scanned correctly when that bag was being filled which could have led to it being filled incorrectly.

[simmerup]

Because they’re accepting the liability of it going wrong if they make an unusual choice to disregard the error