Information technology in accident and emergency departments

The aim of this study was to assess the availability and use of information technology in accident and emergency departments (A&E) in the UK. A postal questionnaire was sent to every general A&E department in the UK which sees more than 25,000 new attendances/year (n = 217). Responses were obtained from 159 (73.3%) departments, of which 129 (81.1%) were computerized. Computer data was used for administration in 96.9%, for audit in 79.1% and for research in only 41.1%. Most used several sources of toxicology information, but telephone advice from the poisons information bureau was the main source. Of the hospitals, 74.2% offered courses in computer technology to their staff. The availability of information technology varies widely between departments. If the most is to be made of available technology, staff training must be more widely available and more actively promoted.