Impact of a New Medical Record System for Emergency Departments Designed to Accelerate Clinical Documentation. Issue 26 (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Inokuchi, Ryota; Sato, Hajime; Iwagami, Masao; Komaru, Yohei; Iwai, Satoshi; Gunshin, Masataka; Nakamura, Kensuke; Shinohara, Kazuaki; Kitsuta, Yoichi; Nakajima, Susumu; Yahagi, Naoki; Grewal., Perbinder Singh
• Is Part Of: Medicine. Volume 94:Issue 26(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Périodiques; Geneeskunde; Medicine; Periodicals; Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000000856
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-7974

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Recording information in emergency departments (EDs) constitutes a major obstacle to efficient treatment. A new electronic medical records (EMR) system focusing on clinical documentation was developed to accelerate patient flow. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a new EMR system on ED length of stay and physician satisfaction.</p> <p>We integrated a new EMR system at a hospital already using a standard system. A crossover design was adopted whereby residents were randomized into 2 groups. Group A used the existing EMR system first, followed by the newly developed system, for 2 weeks each. Group B followed the opposite sequence. The time required to provide overall medical care, length of stay in ED, and degree of physician satisfaction were compared between the 2 EMR systems.</p> <p>The study involved 6 residents and 526 patients (277 assessed using the standard system and 249 assessed with the new system). Mean time for clinical documentation decreased from 133.7 ± 5.1 minutes to 107.5 ± 5.4 minutes with the new EMR system (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001). The time for overall medical care was significantly reduced in all patient groups except triage level 5 (nonurgent). The new EMR system significantly reduced the length of stay in ED for triage level 2 (emergency) patients (145.4 ± 13.6 minutes vs 184.3 ± 13.6 minutes for standard system; <italic>P</italic> = 0.047). As for the degree of physician satisfaction, there was a high degree of satisfaction in terms of the physical findings support system and the ability to capture images and enter negative findings.</p> <p>The new EMR system shortened the time for overall medical care and was associated with a high degree of resident satisfaction.</p> </sec> </abstract>