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Effect of automatic record keeping on vigilance and record keeping time
J Allard1, R Dzwonczyk, D Yablok
1Ohio State University, Department of Anesthesiology, Columbus 43210, USA.
British Journal of Anaesthesia
|May 1, 1995
Summary
An automatic anaesthesia record keeper (AARK) did not reduce the time anesthesiologists spent on record keeping during surgery. Vigilance was also unaffected, suggesting AARK design issues may hinder efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- Intraoperative record keeping is a significant time commitment for anesthesiologists.
- Advances in monitoring technology have not substantially reduced this burden.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of an automatic anesthesia record keeper (AARK) on anesthesiologist record keeping time.
- To assess the effect of AARK use on anesthesiologist vigilance during surgical procedures.
Main Methods:
- Videotaping of 66 surgical procedures, with 37 cases using manual charting and 29 using an AARK.
- Vigilance assessment through unannounced physician examiner checks, evaluating recall of patient physiological variables.
- Analysis of videotapes to categorize intraoperative time, including record keeping activities.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant difference in mean intraoperative record keeping time between manual (14.11%) and AARK (12.39%) methods.
- AARK use did not significantly impact anesthesiologist vigilance.
- Record keeping consistently occupies 10-15% of intraoperative anesthesiologist time.
Conclusions:
- Automatic anesthesia record keepers do not currently reduce intraoperative record keeping time.
- Anesthetists may reallocate time to address interface issues with AARK systems.
- Further improvements in AARK design are needed to enhance efficiency and potentially reduce time spent on record keeping.