title: Randomised trial comparing the recording ability of a novel, electronic emergency documentation system with the AHA paper cardiac arrest record.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the ability of an electronic system created at the University of Washington to accurately document prerecorded VF and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) cardiac arrest scenarios compared with the American Heart Association paper cardiac arrest record.
  
  
  METHODS
  16 anaesthesiology residents were randomly assigned to view one of two prerecorded, simulated VF and PEA scenarios and asked to document the event with either the paper or electronic system. Each subject then repeated the process with the other video and documentation method. Five types of documentation errors were defined: (1) omission, (2) specification, (3) timing, (4) commission and (5) noise. The mean difference in errors between the paper and electronic methods was analysed using a single factor repeated measures ANOVA model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with paper records, the electronic system omitted 6.3 fewer events (95% CI -10.1 to -2.5, p=0.003), which represents a 28% reduction in omission errors. Users recorded 2.9 fewer noise items (95% CI -5.3 to -0.6, p=0.003) when compared with paper, representing a 36% decrease in redundant or irrelevant information. The rate of timing (Δ=-3.2, 95% CI -9.3 to 3.0, p=0.286) and commission (Δ=-4.4, 95% CI -9.4 to 0.5, p=0.075) errors were similar between the electronic system and paper, while the rate of specification errors were about a third lower for the electronic system when compared with the paper record (Δ=-3.2, 95% CI -6.3 to -0.2, p=0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with paper documentation, documentation with the electronic system captured 24% more critical information during a simulated medical emergency without loss in data quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Eliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grigg
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grigg
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oppenheimer
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education and Biomedical Informatics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roesler
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Bala
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005568:Forms and Records Control / Q000592:standards*; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000592:standards*; D010209:Paper; D014481:United States
keywords: Cardiac Arrest; Cardiac Care, Care Systems; Communications; Data Management; Resuscitation