[Examining the efficiency of directional arrow or lines in the ER department that guide and help patients reach their destination, with minimal assistance from the staff]

by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

Efficient information management and communication within the emergency department (ED) is essential to providing timely and high-quality patient care. The ED whiteboard (census board) usually serves as an ED's central access point for operational and patient-related information. This article describes the design, functionality, and experiences with a computerized ED whiteboard, which has the ability to display relevant operational and patient-related information in real time. Embedded functionality, additional whiteboard views, and the integration with ED and institutional information system components, such as the computerized patient record or the provider order entry system, provide rapid access to more detailed information. As an information center, the computerized whiteboard supports our ED environment not only for providing patient care, but also for operational, educational, and research activities.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW3

Emergency Management Resources3

Emergency Rooms12

Hospital Emergency Departments18

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY29

Creating an Information Center for the Emergency Department29

Sharing Information: Integration with Hospital Information Systems29

Integrating Information Technology with Workflow30

Providing Decision Support31

Facilitating Information Display and Ease of Navigation31

Minimizing User Training32

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS33

Architecture35

Integration36

Functionality37

Patient-Related Demographic Information38

Staff Information39

Management of Bed and Patient Location39

Chief Complaint40

ED Registration Information41

Patient Referral Information42

Treatment Plan42

Additional Whiteboard Views43

Downtime Periods43

Status Report44

Clinical Benefits44

Financial Benefits45

Research Benefits46

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION47

REFLECTIVE DIARY48

Summary of Clinical Activities48

Identify49

Describe49

REFERENCES51

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Efficient information management and communication are essential for providing high-quality clinical care. Compared to other health care settings, the Emergency Department (ED) is one of the most information-intensive environments. Ever increasing patient volumes, an aging population, high occupancy levels, decreased availability of inpatient beds, nursing shortages, and increased patient complexity all require ED staff members to assimilate information from diverse sources to facilitate efficient information management and communication.

The ED is a challenging and dynamic environment from a clinical and operational perspective. 10 The ED staff provides episodic care for acutely ill patients for whom historical information may be limited or completely missing. The fragmentation of patient information combined with a demanding work environment that includes frequent interruptions, handoffs, and multitasking can impact quality of care and lead to an increased error rate in the ED setting. Information technology may help clinicians to improve care by connecting the islands of information that frequently exist in an ED.

Patient tracking boards have become an essential instrument for clinical and operational management in the ED. The “whiteboard,” also referred to as the status board, bed board, census board, or locator board, is viewed as a central and indispensable instrument for communication and information management in ...