City University

My project consists of an evaluation performed in two Intensive Care Units in London, UK.
By evaluating the user interface requirements of an Electronic Patient Record, (CAREVUE), I pretend to build an information tool which will then be used in future EPR implementations

The rapid development of computing technology has had a major impact on health care, particularly in technologies-oriented areas such as critical care.
Many of the benefits derived from health care systems can not be measured in purely monetary terms. Factors such as equity of access, quality of care and the clinical support environment have an enormous indirect affect on the outcomes for both patient and clinicians. The delivery of healthcare relies on the sharing of patient information between those who are providing for the care of the patient and this information is increasingly being expressed in terms of a record. Although the technology of clinical information systems is constantly improving, the implementation of such systems remains a difficult task. Electronic charting represents a major paradigm and workflow shift for nurses, doctors and other caregivers trained to document on paper. In Intensive Care Units, (I.C.U.) these concerns are magnified due to the complexity of charting and the critically of patient illness. Implementation of Electronic Patient Record Systems across multiple specialty ICU's is a particularly challenge due to differences in documentation and workflow.
In this project, I will try to focus in the user interface and user requirements necessary to provide a successful outcome of the EPR in the Intensive Care Unit.