Use of computer terminals on wards to access emergency test results: a retrospective audit.
OBJECTIVE
To assess delay in clinicians obtaining emergency biochemistry test results when the telephoning of results by laboratory staff is supplanted by installation of computer ward terminals.


METHODS
Retrospective observational study.


METHODS
Accident and emergency department and acute medical admissions ward of a teaching hospital.


METHODS
3228 emergency requests for biochemistry tests sent from the accident and emergency department and 1836 from the medical admissions ward during August 1999 to January 2000 when there was no recorded telephone contact for results.


METHODS
Proportion of emergency biochemistry results accessed via a ward terminal within 1 or 3 hours of becoming available and the proportion never seen by this means.


RESULTS
The results from 1443/3228 (45%) of urgent requests from accident and emergency and 529/1836 (29%) from the admissions ward were never accessed via the ward terminal. Results from 794/3228 (25%) of accident and emergency requests and 413/1836 (22%) of admissions ward requests were seen within 1 hour of becoming available while a further 491/3228 (15%) and 341/1836 (19%) respectively were accessed between 1 and 3 hours. In up to 43/1443 (3%) of the accident and emergency test results that were never looked at the findings might have led to an immediate change in patient management.


CONCLUSIONS
When used as the sole substitute for telephoning results, the provision of terminal access to laboratory results on wards can hinder rather than promote the communication of emergency blood results to healthcare staff.
Kilpatrick
E S
ES
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull HU3 2JZ. eric_kilpatrick@hotmail.com
Holding
S
S
D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D003142:Communication; D016288:Computer Terminals; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008485:Medical Audit; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013689:Telephone; D013997:Time Factors