A decision support database for nurse care planning as part of a hospital information system

This paper, based on a doctoral thesis, describes the development and evaluation of a computerized care planning database at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. It is part of an integrated Hospital Information System, the first to be installed in an United Kingdom. The research examines nurses' attitudes to the Nursing Process to the new care planning system before, three months after, and one year after its implementation. The quality of manual vs. computer care planning is compared in the same time periods using an existing quality assurance instrument and an audit tool, developed during the research. All data was analyzed in each time period in a framework of personal and organizational change theories. The proactive nature of the research allowed findings to be used as a basis for modifications during the process, which culminated in a further project to provide a database of standard based care plans. Results showed that an understanding of the Nursing Process was inadequate and that most nurses were ambivalent about paper care planning and the proposed computer care plans. Three months after implementation, attitudes became more unfavorable; however, after a year, attitudes showed a significant shift towards the positive pole. Conversely, the overall quality-of-care planning improved significantly.