Intensive care information system reduces documentation time of the nurses after cardiothoracic surgery.
OBJECTIVE
Nowadays, registration of patient data on paper is gradually being replaced by registration using an intensive care information system (ICIS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the use of an ICIS on nursing activity.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial with a crossover design.


METHODS
An 18-bed medical-surgical ICU in a teaching hospital. PATIENTS, NURSES AND INTERVENTIONS: During a 6week period 145 consecutive adult patients admitted to the ICU after uncomplicated cardiothoracic surgery were randomized into two groups: for one group the documentation was carried out using a paper-based registration (Paper), in the second group an ICIS was used for documentation.


RESULTS
The nursing activities for these patients were studied during two separate periods: the admission period and the registration phase (the period directly following the admission procedure). The duration of the admission procedure was measured by time-motion analysis and the nursing activities in the registration phase were studied by work sampling methodology. All nursing activities during the registration phase were grouped in four main categories: patient care, documentation, unit-related and personal time. The duration of the admission procedure was longer in the ICIS group (18.1+/-4.1 versus 16.8+/-3.1 min, p<0.05). In the registration phase, a 30% reduction in documentation time (Paper 20.5% of total nursing time versus ICIS 14.4%, p<0.001), corresponding to 29 min (per 8h nursing shift) was achieved. This time was completely re-allocated to patient care.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of the present ICIS in patients after cardiothoracic surgery alters nursing activity; it reduces the time for documentation and increases the time devoted to patient care.


BACKGROUND
is available if you access this article at http://dx.org/10.1007/s00134-002-1542-9. On that page (frame on the left side), a link takes you directly to the supplementary material.
Bosman
Robert Jan
RJ
Department of Intensive Care, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, 1e Oosterparkstraat 279, PO box 10550, 1090 HM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. R.J.Bosman@OLVG.nl
Rood
Emmy
E
Oudemans-van Straaten
Heleen Maria
HM
Van der Spoel
Johan Ids
JI
Wester
Johannus Petrus Jacobus
JP
Zandstra
Durk Freark
DF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000451:nursing; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000451:nursing*; D013996:Time and Motion Studies