title: Can an EPR support the concept of family-centred, individualized developmental care of premature infants and newborns?
abstract: At the University Children's Hospital Heidelberg the concept of 'Developmental, Family-Centred, Individual Care of Premature Infants and Newborns' was introduced to support optimal growth of premature infants. This interdisciplinary concept requires cooperation of different specialists. A well operating communication is a precondition for such cooperation. As a patient's record is not only used for storing information but also for exchanging information, the question was if a complete electronic patient record (EPR), in contrast to the existing patient's record, could sensibly support this new concept of care. To answer this question the whole communication of the staff in the infants ward was analysed using different observation methods. These observations delivered several issues which showed that an EPR could improve communication and workflow. Therefore an EPR for the neonatology at the University Children's Hospital Heidelberg can now be designed on the basis of our communication concept.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Biometry and Informatics, Department of Medical Informatics, University of Heidelberg, Germany. Christian.Kohl@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Christian D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kohl
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Verveur
authors.forename: Otwin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Linderkamp
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knaup-Gregori
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D000078329:Workforce