title: The peace of paper: patient lists as work tools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Paper-based documents are subject to problems related to storage, loss, distribution and editing. Many organizations have introduced ICT-based processes to reduce the use of paper as primary documentation. Nevertheless, paper documents are still being used in healthcare.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To better understand this situation, we have studied the use of paper-based patient lists in two wards in a Norwegian hospital that has 'gone digital'. We seek to answer the question: "Why is it that paper-based patient lists are maintained in the ward of a hospital going digital?"
  
  
  METHODS
  Participant observations and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient lists allow nurses to immediately record, retrieve, and share relevant patient information at the point of care in a way that is not immediately available through the EPR system. Paper-based tools continue to serve purposes beyond and outside what is currently supported by current electronic information systems.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian EPR Research Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Pb 8905, MTFS, Trondheim NO-7497, Norway. Electronic address: tobiasbu@idi.ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Tobias Buschmann
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.affiliation: Norwegian EPR Research Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Pb 8905, MTFS, Trondheim NO-7497, Norway.
authors.forename: Andreas Dypvik
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Landmark
authors.affiliation: Norwegian EPR Research Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Pb 8905, MTFS, Trondheim NO-7497, Norway.
authors.forename: Aksel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tjora
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D004282:Documentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D019451:Information Management / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009664:Norway; D009726:Nurses
keywords: Electronic health record; Hospital ward; Nursing; Paper documentation; Patient lists; Tools