Anesthesia Personnel's Experiences With Digital Anesthesia Information Management Systems: A Literature Review

Traditionally, anesthetic records were in paper format. An increasing volume of complex data, legislation, and quality improvement initiatives related to clinical documentation have promoted the transition to digital records. Anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) have been designed to directly extract patient information from the anesthesia workstation and transmit the data into documentation systems and databases. The purpose of this review was to explore existing literature on anesthesia personnel's experiences with digital AIMS. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, Embase, and The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. A total of 473 records were identified, of which 40 records were read in full-text. Seven records underwent quality appraisal, representing research from 1991 to 2018, all with a quantitative design. In total, 379 anesthesia personnel were included. Five studies were conducted in the United States; 1, in Korea; and 1, in Germany. Results were collated into the themes user satisfaction, technical aspects, physical placement of the system, paper-based vs electronic data entry, quality of care, and suggestions for improvement. Findings indicate both positive and negative effects of AIMS. Anesthesia personnel's experiences should be included in the planning, development, and implementation of digital data entry systems.