Copy and paste in the electronic medical record: A scoping review

Abstract

Copy and paste (CPF) can be defined as the act of duplicating medical documentation from one section of the electronic medical record (EMR) and placing it verbatim in another section. The objective of this scoping review is to: 1) describe the prevalence of copy and paste usage in EMR documentation, 2) detail the known measurable safety hazards associated with its use, and 3) identify potential solutions and/or strategies that can be used to mitigate the negative consequences of the CPF while preserving its essential role in documentation efficiency. The Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines were used to identify, screen, and assess the text of articles for final inclusion in CPF article review. The primary search strategy for copy-paste articles was developed in PubMed® and then translated to CINAHL®, ScienceDirect®, and IEEExplore® to extract additional articles. Identified copy-paste articles were imported into Covidence®. Two reviewers determined the final articles that were included in the review. The search retrieved 63 publications of which 17 were identified for final inclusion. The scoping review revealed CPF of medical text is a common occurrence that cuts across all clinician types (e.g., physicians and nurses). The scoping review revealed that automated methods for finding duplication in electronic documentation had emerged. A limited number of studies with quantifiable harms associated with CPF were found. Clinicians stated that CPF: 1) had a negative impact on critical thinking, 2) led to medical complications being more likely to be overlooked, and 3) led to safety issues being missed with copy-paste content. A few different approaches were tested by researchers as alternatives to CPF. They included dictation systems, practice guidelines, note templates, highlighting of copied information, note splitting, and text insertion. CPF is long overdue for innovative approaches to minimizing patient risk and maximizing provider efficiency.