Evaluation of ICU Nurses' Use of the Clinical Information System in Taiwan

Abstract

With the fast development of computer software and hardware, technology application is ubiquitous, and many healthcare services have integrated a clinical information system into daily practice. With today's information technology, everyone should possess basic computer competency to meet on-the-job demands and especially to use an information system in healthcare. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore Taiwanese nurses' computer competency, the interface usability, and any change in the nurses' practice pattern as a result of the technology use. The current study adopted a descriptive research design, recruiting 114 nurses in medical and surgical ICUs to survey their technology use. Additionally, a total of 6780 observation values were obtained by a work sampling method to investigate the applicability of the information system. The results indicated that nurses with a higher education can use more computer applications and had better computer competency than other nurses. Additionally, computer competency was related to interface usability, and interface usability in the surgical ICU was rated higher than those in the medical ICU. Finally, the nursing practice patterns observed were related to the technology use. The results could serve as a reference for information technology usage evaluation in nursing.

Usability Evaluation of An Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) Application

“…Recently, authors in Ta iwan examined nurses' use of EHRs [13], although specific findings about eMAR use were not outlined. Beauscart-Zephir and colleagues [14] found that communication among physicians and nurses in French hospitals was impacted when computerized physician order entry (CPOE) was installed.…”

Impact of Bar-code Medication Administration on Nursing Activity Patterns and Usage Experience in Taiwan

“…15,23 Furthermore, understandable and easily labeled and marked time frame boxes or grids are required on the recording instrument for data collection, and time intervals as the observed activities should usually take 2 to 15 minutes. 17,22 Activities are classified based on research purposes, and most would divide nursing activities into five categories: direct care, indirect care, documentation, unit-related activity, and personal activity. [13][14][15]17,23 To understand the work of nurses and properly record their observed activities on the instrument, each observer must have clinical knowledge, such as a senior nurse with nursing experience 13 or a trained medical student 14 or senior nursing students.…”

“…17,22 Activities are classified based on research purposes, and most would divide nursing activities into five categories: direct care, indirect care, documentation, unit-related activity, and personal activity. [13][14][15]17,23 To understand the work of nurses and properly record their observed activities on the instrument, each observer must have clinical knowledge, such as a senior nurse with nursing experience 13 or a trained medical student 14 or senior nursing students. 15 For limiting the interrater reliability, related training and tests must be given to each observer, including the data collection format, coding, description, and guidance.…”

“…[8][9][10][13][14][15][16][17] Although researchers have studied time spent on medication-related activities, they have mostly used time-and-motion observation, 11,12 but have seldom deployed the work sampling method. Nonetheless, working sampling, a method of using a small number of individual activities to estimate a large number of work patterns, seems appropriate for observing nursing activities with varied As medication safety is a foremost goal of patient safety, the adoption of bar-code medication administration can help nurses ensure safe medication administration.…”

“…Several studies have used methods such as time and motion [8][9][10][11][12] or work sampling [13][14][15][16][17] to measure and analyze nurses and other healthcare providers' activities as a result of technology use, but most have focused on documentation outcome only. [8][9][10][13][14][15][16][17] Although researchers have studied time spent on medication-related activities, they have mostly used time-and-motion observation, 11,12 but have seldom deployed the work sampling method.…”