| Title | Impact of electronic medical record integration of a handoff tool on sign-out in a newborn intensive care unit. |
| Author(s) | Palma JP, Sharek PJ, Longhurst CA. |
| Source | J Perinatol., Vol. 31, No. 5, Pages 311-317 |
| ePub | Epub 2011 Jan 27. |
| DOI | doi: 10.1038/jp.2010.202. |
| Publication Date | 5/1/2011 |
| Abstract | month before and 6 months following EMR integration of a standalone Microsoft Access neonatal handoff tool. Result: Providers perceived sign-out information to be somewhat or very accurate at a rate of 78% with the standalone handoff tool and 91% with the EMR-integrated tool (P < 0.01). Before integration of neonatal sign-out into the EMR, 35% of providers were satisfied with the process of updating sign-out information and 71% were satisfied with the printed sign-out document; following EMR integration, 92% of providers were satisfied with the process of updating sign-out information (P < 0.01) and 98% were satisfied with the printed sign-out document (P<0.01). Neonatal care providers reported spending a median of 11 to 15 min/day updating the standalone sign-out and 16 to 20 min/day updating the EMR-integrated sign-out (P = 0.026). The median percentage of total sign-out preparation time dedicated to transcribing information from the EMR was 25 to 49% before and <25% after EMR integration of the handoff tool (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Integration of a NICU-specific handoff tool into an EMR resulted in improvements in perceived sign-out accuracy, provider satisfaction and at least one aspect of workflow. |