Article type
Abstract
Background
Although various evidence-based sources of information (guidelines, concepts) are available, nurses do not often use this information in daily practice because it is not integrated into the work processes. To efficiently use these sources and promote evidence-based health care, the evidence needs to be integrated into the clinical information system that is used daily.
Objectives
The aim of the project is to support nurses in their daily work at the point of care by providing specialist and evidence-based knowledge directly in the clinical information system. This means that knowledge will be made available in a timely, localized, and process-integrated way when planning or performing work.
Methods
The project follows a participatory qualitative approach. We conducted observations, focus group interviews with 8 advanced nursing practitioners and 3 nurses, and individual interviews with 2 nursing leaders and 1 chief physician in a Swiss private hospital to analyze the current situation and requirements for a knowledge management system. The next steps will be to further analyze the technical requirements and the development of a concept for implementation into practice.
Results
Our preliminary findings have shown that time is an important factor in determining whether and which knowledge sources are used. Due to the structure of documents, this was sometimes described as a challenge in the current document filing system. The integration of a knowledge management system should therefore ensure that the individual documents can be quickly and easily retrieved and are integrated into the patient documentation. The interviewees believed that the benefits could be increased patient safety, time savings, employee satisfaction, and improved communication in the interdisciplinary team.
Conclusions
It is expected that health care institutions will be able to benefit from the planned knowledge management system by providing their nursing staff with a tool that facilitates the acquisition and use of knowledge in everyday clinical practice. Effectively integrating knowledge into the patient documentation could enable institutions to fulfill the requirements of evidence-based care, which in turn improves the quality of care and patient safety, the effectiveness and efficiency of nursing practice, and the satisfaction of nursing staff.
Although various evidence-based sources of information (guidelines, concepts) are available, nurses do not often use this information in daily practice because it is not integrated into the work processes. To efficiently use these sources and promote evidence-based health care, the evidence needs to be integrated into the clinical information system that is used daily.
Objectives
The aim of the project is to support nurses in their daily work at the point of care by providing specialist and evidence-based knowledge directly in the clinical information system. This means that knowledge will be made available in a timely, localized, and process-integrated way when planning or performing work.
Methods
The project follows a participatory qualitative approach. We conducted observations, focus group interviews with 8 advanced nursing practitioners and 3 nurses, and individual interviews with 2 nursing leaders and 1 chief physician in a Swiss private hospital to analyze the current situation and requirements for a knowledge management system. The next steps will be to further analyze the technical requirements and the development of a concept for implementation into practice.
Results
Our preliminary findings have shown that time is an important factor in determining whether and which knowledge sources are used. Due to the structure of documents, this was sometimes described as a challenge in the current document filing system. The integration of a knowledge management system should therefore ensure that the individual documents can be quickly and easily retrieved and are integrated into the patient documentation. The interviewees believed that the benefits could be increased patient safety, time savings, employee satisfaction, and improved communication in the interdisciplinary team.
Conclusions
It is expected that health care institutions will be able to benefit from the planned knowledge management system by providing their nursing staff with a tool that facilitates the acquisition and use of knowledge in everyday clinical practice. Effectively integrating knowledge into the patient documentation could enable institutions to fulfill the requirements of evidence-based care, which in turn improves the quality of care and patient safety, the effectiveness and efficiency of nursing practice, and the satisfaction of nursing staff.