Examining the Copy and Paste Function in the Use of Electronic Health Records.

Lowry SZ, Ramaiah M, Prettyman SS, et al. Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States Department of Commerce; January 19, 2017. NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)-8166.

Copying and pasting information in electronic health records can introduce risks. This report discusses a human factors study of the phenomenon to determine how the practice affects information distribution. The authors conclude that the problem does exist, describe its impact on situational awareness, and provide recommendations to improve safety associated with the copy-and-paste function.

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