Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026
A Protocol to Set Up Needle-Free Connector with Positive Displacement on Central Venous Catheter in Intensive Care Unit
Published on: July 13, 2019
Accuracy in documentation of peripheral venous catheters in paediatric care: an intervention study in electronic
Ulrika Förberg1, Eva Johansson, Britt-Marie Ygge
1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm and School of Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden. ulrika.forberg@karolinska.se
Insights
Implementing an electronic health record template improved peripheral venous catheter documentation completeness in pediatric care. However, overall recording and complication documentation remain inadequate, necessitating further system enhancements.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Informatics
- Paediatric Nursing
- Clinical Documentation
Background:
- Accurate clinical data is crucial for quality improvement, research, and patient safety.
- Existing studies indicate a significant gap between performed care and patient record documentation.
- Peripheral venous catheter (PVC) management requires precise documentation for effective patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of an electronic patient record (EPR) template on the accuracy and completeness of PVC recording in paediatric care.
- To compare PVC documentation practices before and after the implementation of a structured recording template.
- To identify areas for improvement in clinical data recording within EPR systems.
Main Methods:
- A before-and-after study design was employed at a Swedish paediatric university hospital.
- Data collection involved direct observations and record audits of PVCs in paediatric patients.
- The intervention consisted of introducing a standardized template for PVC recording in the EPR.
Main Results:
- A significant increase in the completeness of PVC recording was observed post-intervention.
- The overall percentage of recorded PVCs remained stable (85-93%).
- Documentation of PVC insertion site and size improved, but overall insertion recording did not.
- Crucially, the documentation of catheter-related complications remained very low both before and after the intervention.
Conclusions:
- The EPR template enhanced the completeness of PVC documentation but did not fully resolve accuracy issues.
- Current EPR systems do not consistently provide accurate data on PVCs in paediatric settings.
- Further interventions, such as integrated decision support systems, are needed to improve the documentation of PVC complications.
Aims:
The aim of this study is to compare the accuracy and completeness in the recording of peripheral venous catheters before and after implementing a template in the electronic patient record in paediatric care.
Background:
As a basis for quality improvement and research purposes and to ensure patient safety, accurate clinical data need to be easily accessible in patient records. Several studies have concluded that the relation between performed care and what is documented in patient records is poor.
Design:
Before and after study.
Method:
The study took place at a large paediatric university hospital in Sweden. Inclusion criteria were patients who were admitted to one of the included wards, had one or several peripheral venous catheters and were available at the ward at the time for data collection. Data were collected by observations and record audits before and then four and 10 months after the introduction of a template for recording peripheral venous catheters in a structured and standardised way.
Results:
A significant increase in peripheral venous catheters with complete recording was observed after as compared with before the intervention. The percentage of peripheral venous catheters with recording of any kind was relatively stable (85-93%). The overall recording of peripheral venous catheters insertion did not improve, but there was an increase in the recording of side and size after the intervention. One of the 22 complications observed before the intervention was documented and none of the complications (n = 17 and n = 9) after.
Conclusion:
The electronic patient record did not provide accurate data on peripheral venous catheters in paediatric care neither before nor after the intervention.
Relevance To Clinical Practice:
Further efforts to increase the documentation of catheter-related complications are needed. Integrated decision support systems in electronic patient records that remind nurses to inspect peripheral venous catheters regularly could be one solution.
More Related Videos
09:38Femoral Arterial and Venous Catheterization for Blood Sampling, Drug Administration and Conscious Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurements
Published on: January 24, 2012
10:46Non-fluoroscopic Catheter Tracking for Fluoroscopy Reduction in Interventional Electrophysiology
Published on: May 26, 2015
Related Concept Videos
01:27Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
01:23Methods of Documentation V: CBE
In CBE, healthcare professionals establish predefined standards of practice that define what constitutes...
01:30Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I
Factual:
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
01:15Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
For example, a patient with a chronic illness...
01:21Methods of Documentation III: PIE
01:30Methods of Documentation VII: EMR