Embedding Policy and Procedure Hyperlinks Into the Electronic Health Record to Improve Practice, Usability, and...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Nursing Practice
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Nurses often struggle with recalling critical policy details.
• Accessing organizational policies and procedures can be inefficient within electronic health records (EHRs).
• Clinical decision support tools aim to improve healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of embedded clinical decision support, specifically policy and procedure hyperlinks, within an EHR.
• To assess the usability of integrated hyperlinks for nursing staff.

Main Methods:

• An interrupted time series design was employed.
• Usability testing, measuring efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction, was conducted before and after hyperlink implementation.
• Two embedded policy and procedure hyperlinks were introduced into the EHR.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in all three usability components: efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction.
• Nurses demonstrated a lack of recall for critical policy and procedure elements.
• The implementation of hyperlinks enhanced access to necessary information.

Conclusions:

• Embedded hyperlinks in EHRs improve access and usability for nurses.
• Direct access to policies and procedures is crucial due to nurses' memory recall limitations.
• This intervention supports compliance and efficient nursing workflows.