A leading health IT company, eClinicalWorks has been fined $155 M so as to resolve a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department. The company is accused of selling faulty software and defrauding the program. This program was subsidized for the doctors to computerize their patient records. The software apparently had several flaws that may have exposed millions of patients to potential safety risks.
eClinicalWorks has to pay $155 M for the settlement
According to the report, the Massachusetts based eClinicalWorks company is a leading health IT company. The company was asked to create a software that could record doctor’s reports so as to reduce documentation. However, it seems many of the doctor’s records created by this software are unwieldly and may invite mistakes that could threaten patients’ privacy.
According to the safety experts these kind of faulty computerized records have introduced new dangers to health care. They also focus that there is a strong need for a health IT safety center and stronger supervision of IT products by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, or ONC, at the Department of Health and Human Services.
eClinicalWorks denies any wrongdoing
However, the company that has been charged for faulty program denied any wrongdoing. According to the company officials the claims settled by the agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. The officials further said that eClinicalWorks decided to settle only to avoid the cost and uncertainty of protracted litigation.
The Chief Operating Officer Mahesh Navani said in a press release;
“We are pleased to put this matter behind us and concentrate all of our efforts on our customers and continued innovations to enhance patient care delivery,”
The claims against the company started way back in year 2010. The software was being used by the Rikers Island jail in New York City. In 2010 doctors, pharmacists and nurses started complaining that the software used by the women’s hospital was malfunctioning dangerously. The major complains were about the patient records that often overlapped on their computer screens. Due to this, doctors and nurses would mistake one patient’s diagnosis or drug for another. Even the medication lists were error prone. Due to the faulty program, several patients left the jail without proper prescriptions or lab results.
The software was implemented by Brendan Delaney of eClinicalWorks. He also worked on implementing the software at more than 30 other hospitals and clinics in New York City and Massachusetts.
According to the press release, the corporation and its founders — CEO Girish Navani, Chief Medical Officer Rajesh Dharampuriya and Chief Operating Officer Navani — are liable for the penalty. In addition, developer Jagan Vaithilingam will pay $50,000. Project managers Bryan Sequeira and Robert Lynes will each pay $15,000, the release said.
Date: June 1, 2017