Computerized routeing for community nurses--a pilot study

Community nurses spend a relatively large proportion of their time travelling. If this could be reduced, benefits would include increased time for direct patient care and reduced costs. This paper describes a pilot study in the Dumfries and Galloway Health Board to see if computerized vehicle routeing could reduce the distance and time of travelling. It is concluded that problems with implementation and characteristics of nurses' journeys (particularly the short distances travelled between long stops) make it unlikely that net savings could be achieved using computers. Nonetheless, some benefits might be obtained by taking a rational look at aspects of nurses' travelling.