Workload reduction through automated documentation in intensive and intermediate care - a monocentric observational...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare systems
• Nursing informatics
• Health economics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated global health system strain, leading to nurse shortages and increased workload.
• Manual documentation of medication administration and dose changes is a time-consuming task for nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the time and financial expenditure associated with manual medication documentation in intensive and intermediate care wards.
• To highlight the potential benefits of automated documentation systems in alleviating nursing workload.

Main Methods:

• A tertiary university hospital's patient data management system (PDMS) was used to record manual documentation time.
• Data from intensive care units (ICUs) and intermediate care (IMC) wards (n=6) were analyzed from January 2019 to December 2022.
• Medication administration data, grouped into five classes, were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Over 1.37 million drug administrations for 32,499 patients were analyzed.
• Manual documentation consumed approximately 2,901 hours annually.
• Estimated annual financial expenditure for manual documentation was ~€83,300 (~$89,300).

Conclusions:

• Manual documentation represents a significant portion of daily work, increasing nursing burden.
• Automated documentation systems offer substantial relief, allowing focus on patient care and core competencies.
• Efficient staff utilization is critical for future patient care, making automation a key solution.