03/17/2025

Oncologists Should Know Dangers of Using Copy/Paste in EMRs

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems offer various benefits for oncologists and oncology practices, including improving efficiency by creating updatable patient history and treatment notes that are digitally available for medical staff and shareable with referring physicians. Most EMRs have copy/paste functionality, which allows content to be duplicated within the notes. Although useful as a time-saving tool, oncologists should be aware that copying and pasting within the EMR can lead to unintended consequences that can affect patient safety.

Efficiency, Consistency Associated With Shortcut
Copying and pasting information in EMRs is a common practice across most of medicine, including oncology, according to Kerry A. Rogers, MD, a professor and hematologist with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus.

One of the main reasons for copying and pasting patient information is “to keep track of information that does not change between visits,” such as the treatment history, Dr. Rogers said. “This is copied forward so that each note has a section that can be quickly referenced and the oncologist does not spend extra time re-looking-up and re-typing this every time.”

If a new treatment is started or a treatment is completed, this would need to be updated in the note, Dr. Rogers said.

Another benefit is the use of templates, Dr. Rogers said. “Most physicians want their notes to look a similar way each time, and include standard information and formatting that is meaningful to them. Copying the last note on a template and updating it is an effective and efficient way to keep the notes uniform and easier to use.”

Potential Harms
Keeping patients’ care and safety central to what goes into the EMR is critical, experts say. “Patient safety overall is of high concern with the use of copy/paste,” said Stephanie Allard, CEO of Stephanie Allard Consulting, LLC, who specializes in oncology audits. From a compliance standpoint, using copy/paste can put patient safety at risk because of the potential for a wide range of errors related to treatment or a lack of treatment, cautions Allard.

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