• G L Pierpont and D Thilgen.
• Department of Cardiology, Minneapolis VA Medical Center, MN, USA.
• Crit. Care Med. 1995 Jun 1;23(6):1067-73.

ObjectiveTo measure the impact on nursing activity of introducing computerized medical records into intensive care units (ICUs).DesignProspective data collection monitoring the activity of ICU nurses before and after installation of a computerized charting system.SettingA six-bed coronary care unit and an eight-bed medical ICU at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.SubjectsRegistered nurses providing intensive care services.InterventionsInstallation of a Clinical Information System that computerized the ICU medical records.Measurements And Main ResultsBefore computer installation, nurses spent 24% of their time manipulating data (7% gathering and 17% charting). After installation, charting time decreased to 10%, and data gathering time decreased to 4%, while 10% of time was spent at computer terminals entering or reviewing data. The total time manipulating data post-installation was thus 24% (i.e., unchanged from previous). Computerized charting did not alter time spent in patients' rooms (43% pre- and 43% postinstallation) compared with time spent at the central station (37% pre- and 36% post-installation) or elsewhere (20% pre- and 21% postinstallation). Relative time spent at various tasks varied between units and from shift to shift, but the net effect of computerized charting was that nurses had more time available at the central station for monitoring, and that the computer terminals were used primarily in the patient rooms.ConclusionsComputerized charting will not necessarily provide ICU nurses with a net excess of time for tasks unrelated to manipulating data.

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