Introduction of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) and time impact in an inpatient hematology/oncology service: Serial time and motion studies

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e17507-e17507
Author(s):  
D. A. Hanauer ◽  
R. W. Beasley ◽  
J. Schumacher ◽  
M. G. Duck ◽  
D. W. Blayney
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
House Staff ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Order Entry ◽  
Time And Motion ◽  
Oncology Service ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Productive Time

e17507 Background: The impact of CPOE on inpatient hematology/oncology care is not well studied. CPOE has many benefits, but concerns exist about increased time required to enter electronic orders compared to handwritten orders. We hypothesized that CPOE would require more order-related time from caregivers, and reduce the amount of time for direct patient care. Methods: Physician assistants (PAs) enter all patient orders (except those for chemotherapy) and are the dedicated and exclusive care providers on this non-house staff service at the main Hospital of the University of Michigan Health System. We chose the PA service for observation as we could eliminate potential biases introduced by rotating house staff we observed in earlier studies. PAs were directly observed at -1, +3 and +8 months post implementation of a CPOE system (Sunrise Clinical Manager, Eclypsis, Atlanta GA). Dedicated observers used a data entry tool with a modified database (available on the Health IT Tools section at healthit.ahrq.gov) on a tablet computer. For analysis, the 60 individual activities were grouped into 6 major categories, as well as an ordering category. We observed the same three PAs for 82.5 hours pre-CPOE, for 75.0 hours at 3 months post and for 70.5 hours 8 months post. Productive time was all non-personal and non-administrative time. The faculty entered chemotherapy orders and supervised the PAs, but were not studied. Results: Overall time for order-related activities was unchanged during the three observation periods, requiring 10.3, 10.6 and 11.4% of productive time, respectively. Time spent on direct patient care (as a percentage of productive time) was also unchanged once CPOE was implemented (50.7% pre vs. 49.8% and 47.8% post). Conclusions: We could not detect differences in order-entry time by well-trained PAs using standardized order sets before and after CPOE implementation on an inpatient hematology/oncology service. The decision to adopt CPOE should not be based on the hypothesis that there will be less (or more) time spent on order entry tasks. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Implementation of Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) Does Not Impact Provider Work Time in An Inpatient Malignant Hematology Service

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 4704-4704
Author(s):  
David A Hanauer ◽  
Sung W Choi ◽  
Robert W Beasley ◽  
Ronald B Hirschl ◽  
Douglas W Blayney
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Order Entry ◽  
Time And Motion Study ◽  
Time And Motion ◽  
Motion Study ◽  
Order Sets ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract No data are available concerning the impact of CPOE on inpatient leukemia and lymphoma care. CPOE may improve patient safety, reduce time between order entry and medication administration, and reduce medication and transcription errors. However, concerns have arisen about potential increased time required to enter electronic orders compared to handwritten orders. Our hypothesis was that CPOE would require more order-related time from caregivers, and reduce the amount of time for direct patient care. We studied the work patterns of three Physician Assistants (PAs) who worked under the supervision of faculty physicians, and were the exclusive inpatient care providers. The PA-staffed hematology service was chosen to minimize the impact of rotating house staff on our results. Faculty, who were not studied, entered the few chemotherapy orders necessary, while PAs entered orders for hydration, antibiotics, supportive care and other medications, and for consultations and diagnostic tests. The UMHS Institutional Review Board reviewed the study protocol and waived the requirement for patient informed consent. We performed a direct observation time and motion study pre- and post-implementation of a commercial CPOE system (Sunrise Clinical Manager™ 4.5, Eclipsys, Boca Raton, Florida) on one inpatient hematology service at the UMHS University Hospital. The same three PAs were shadowed pre- and post-implementation. We also closely matched morning and afternoon observation times in order to reduce variability in activities taking place at different times of the day. Prior to CPOE implementation the PAs had a 4 hour general training session and a 1 hour chemotherapy training session. Pre-built order sets were routinely used by the PAs. A portable tablet computer was used by an independent observer to record data, using a data entry interface containing 63 individual activity categories modified from the Time and Motion database under “IT Tools” at http://www.ahrq.gov. Data were grouped into subcategories for analysis. We grouped 12 activities as ordering-related (e.g. writing orders, writing forms, clarifying orders, etc.) We observed the same three PAs for 85.4 hours (over 2 weeks) pre, and for 75.8 hours (over 4 weeks) starting 3 months post-CPOE. Mean patient census was 11.3 per day pre- and 9.2 per day post implementation observation periods. Overall time for order-related activities was unchanged, requiring 7.7% of total time pre- and 8.1% of total time post-CPOE even though actual order writing took longer with CPOE compared to written (4.9% pre vs. 7.0% post). CPOE had almost no impact on direct patient care time (Figure), with PAs spending 38.2% total time on direct patient care pre-CPOE compared to 38.4% post. A minimal difference was also found with the overall total for indirect patient care activities (37.1% pre vs. 38.7% post). Our results suggest that using CPOE on a busy hematology inpatient service has minimal impact on time spent by trained PAs using standard order sets 3 months after implementation. The decision to adopt CPOE for a busy hematology service should not be based on the hypothesis that there will be a change in workflow or task organization. More study is needed to determine if CPOE for hematology patients results in a change in the quality of patient care or safety. Figure. Percentage of total time spent in 6 analysis categories both before and after implementation of a commercial CPOE system for an inpatient hematology service. These 6 categories represent 63 individual activities categories that were recorded in the time and motion study. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals. Figure. Percentage of total time spent in 6 analysis categories both before and after implementation of a commercial CPOE system for an inpatient hematology service. These 6 categories represent 63 individual activities categories that were recorded in the time and motion study. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals.

scholarly journals The impact on patient flow after the integration of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in 6 Ontario emergency departments

CJEM ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (05) ◽  
pp. 455-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Ducharme ◽  
Robert J. Alder ◽  
Cindy Pelletier ◽  
Don Murray ◽  
Joshua Tepper
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
Wait Times ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Lengths Of Stay ◽  
Left Without Being Seen ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Objective: We sought to assess the impact of the integration of the new roles of primary health care nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) on patient flow, wait times and proportions of patients who left without being seen in 6 Ontario emergency departments (EDs). Methods: We performed a retrospective review of health records data on patient arrival time, time of initial assessment by a physician, time of discharge from the ED and discharge status. Results: Whether a PA or NP was directly involved in the care of patients or indirectly involved by being on duty, the wait times, lengths of stay and proportion of patients who left without being seen were significantly reduced. When a PA or NP were directly involved in patients' care, patients were 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3–2.1, p < 0.05) and 2.1 (95% CI 1.6–2.8, p < 0.05) times more likely to be seen within the wait time benchmarks, respectively. Lengths of stay were 30.3% (95% CI 21.6%–39.0%, p < 0.01) and 48.8% (95% CI 35.0%–62.7%, p < 0.01) lower when PAs and NPs, respectively, were involved. When PAs and NPs were not on duty, the proportion of patients who left without being seen were 44% (95% CI 31%–63%, p < 0.01) and 71% (95% CI 53%–96%, p < 0.05), respectively. Conclusion: The addition of PAs or NPs to the ED team can improve patient flow in medium-sized community hospital EDs. Given the ongoing shortage of physicians, use of alternative health care providers should be considered. These results require validation, as their generalizability to other locations or types of EDs is not known.

scholarly journals An activity analysis of Dutch hospital-based physician assistants and nurse practitioners

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. T. W. J. van den Brink ◽  
A. J. Kouwen ◽  
R. S. Hooker ◽  
H. Vermeulen ◽  
M. G. H. Laurant
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Hospital Management ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Patient Scheduling ◽  
Dutch Hospital ◽  
Medical Specialties

Abstract Background The physician assistant (PA) and the nurse practitioner (NP) were introduced into The Netherlands in 2001 and 1997 respectively. By the second decade, national policies had accelerated the acceptance and development of these professions. Since 2015, the PA and NP have full practice authority as independent health professionals. The aim of this research was to gain a better understanding of the tasks and responsibilities that are being shifted from Medical Doctors (MD) to PAs and NPs in hospitals. More specifically in what context and visibility are these tasks undertaken by hospital-based PAs and NPs in patient care. This will enable them to communicate their worth to the hospital management. Study design A descriptive, non-experimental research method design was used to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data about the type of tasks performed by a PA or NP. Fifteen medical departments across four hospitals participated. Methods The patient scheduling system and hospital information system were probed to identify and characterize a wide variety of clinical tasks. The array of tasks was further verified by 108 interviews. All tasks were divided into direct and indirect patient care. Once the tasks were cataloged, then MDs and hospital managers graded the PA- or NP-performed tasks and assessed their contributions to the hospital management system. Findings In total, 2883 tasks were assessed. Overall, PAs and NPs performed a wide variety of clinical and administrative tasks, which differed across hospitals and medical specialties. Data from interviews and the hospital management systems revealed that over a third of the tasks were not properly registered or attributed to the PA or NP. After correction, it was found that the NP and PA spent more than two thirds of their working time on direct patient care. Conclusions NPs and PAs performed a wide variety of clinical tasks, and the consistency of these tasks differed per medical specialty. Despite the fact that a large part of the tasks was not visible due to incorrect administration, the interviews with MDs and managers revealed that the use of an NP or PA was considered to have an added value at the quality of care as well to the production for hospital-based medical care in The Netherlands.

scholarly journals Computerized Prescriber Order Entry Implementation in a Physician Assistant–Managed Hematology and Oncology Inpatient Service: Effects on Workflow and Task Switching

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e103-e114 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Hanauer ◽  
Kai Zheng ◽  
Elaine L. Commiskey ◽  
Mary G. Duck ◽  
Sung W. Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Task Switching ◽  
Physician Assistant ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Inpatient Service ◽  
Order Entry ◽  
Computerized Prescriber Order Entry ◽  
And Task

The authors found that CPOE implementation did not negatively affect time available for direct patient care and that workflow fragmentation decreased, which is likely beneficial.

scholarly journals Understanding Nursing Workflow for Inpatient Education Delivery: Time and Motion Study

JMIR Nursing ◽  
10.2196/15658 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. e15658
Author(s):  
Kelley M Baker ◽  
Michelle F Magee ◽  
Kelly M Smith
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Diabetes Education ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Patient Room ◽  
Time And Motion Study ◽  
Time And Motion ◽  
Motion Study ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Education Delivery ◽  
Mean Time

Background Diabetes self-management education and support improves diabetes-related outcomes, but many persons living with diabetes do not receive this. Adults with diabetes have high hospitalization rates, so hospital stays may present an opportunity for diabetes education. Nurses, supported by patient care technicians, are typically responsible for delivering patient education but often do not have time. Using technology to support education delivery in the hospital is one potentially important solution. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate nurse and patient care technician workflow to identify opportunities for providing education. The results informed implementation of a diabetes education program on a tablet computer in the hospital setting within existing nursing workflow with existing staff. Methods We conducted a time and motion study of nurses and patient care technicians on three medical-surgical units of a large urban tertiary care hospital. Five trained observers conducted observations in 2-hour blocks. During each observation, a single observer observed a single nurse or patient care technician and recorded the tasks, locations, and their durations using a Web-based time and motion data collection tool. Percentage of time spent on a task and in a location and mean duration of task and location sessions were calculated. In addition, the number of tasks and locations per hour, number of patient rooms visited per hour, and mean time between visits to a given patient room were determined. Results Nurses spent approximately one-third of their time in direct patient care and much of their time (60%) on the unit but not in a patient room. Compared with nurses, patient care technicians spent a significantly greater percentage of time in direct patient care (42%; P=.001). Nurses averaged 16.2 tasks per hour, while patient care technicians averaged 18.2. The mean length of a direct patient care session was 3:42 minutes for nurses and 3:02 minutes for patient care technicians. For nurses, 56% of task durations were 2 minutes or less, and 38% were one minute or less. For patient care technicians, 62% were 2 minutes or less, and 44% were 1 minute or less. Nurses visited 5.3 and patient care technicians 9.4 patient rooms per hour. The mean time between visits to a given room was 37:15 minutes for nurses and 33:28 minutes for patient care technicians. Conclusions The workflow of nurses and patient care technicians, constantly in and out of patient rooms, suggests an opportunity for delivering a tablet to the patient bedside. The average time between visits to a given room is consistent with bringing the tablet to a patient in one visit and retrieving it at the next. However, the relatively short duration of direct patient care sessions could potentially limit the ability of nurses and patient care technicians to spend much time with each patient on instruction in the technology platform or the content.

scholarly journals Haemophilia nursing practice: A global survey of roles and responsibilities

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-33
Author(s):  
Kate Khair ◽  
Mahmoud Abu-Riash ◽  
Ana Claudia Acerbi ◽  
Marlene Beijlevelt ◽  
Georgina Floros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Medical Practitioner ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Learning Capability ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
On Line ◽  
Nursing Roles ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Haemophilia nursing roles continue to develop alongside nursing as a profession. There are now nurses who practice autonomously, much like a medical practitioner, and many who have extended their roles to deliver direct patient care, education and research. There has been little, if any, comparison with haemophilia nurse roles internationally, nor of the impact of these roles on patient reported outcomes. This paper reports the results of an international survey, of 297 haemophilia nurses from 22 countries, describing current day practice and care. Many nurses work above and beyond their funded hours to improve care through research and evidence-based practice. While some are able to attend international meetings to report and discover this evidence, many due to financial constraints, are not. Others reported difficulty with communicating in English, which limited congress attendance. With on-line learning capability, sharing of best practice is now possible, and this approach should be a platform developed in coming years to further enhance haemophilia nursing practice and ultimately patient care.

Impact of a sustainable breast and cervical cancer screening program in spite of COVID-19 pandemic: The AMPATH experience in Kenya.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 10556-10556
Author(s):  
Stephen Kiptoo ◽  
Naftali Wisindi Busakhala ◽  
Peter Itsura ◽  
Philip Tonui ◽  
Terry Vik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Cervical Cancer Screening ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Breast And Cervical Cancer ◽  
The Impact

10556 Background: Cancer is the third leading cause of death with about 48,000 new yearly diagnoses in Kenya. Breast and cervical cancers are the major leading cancers in females, both of which are curable with access to timely and effective care. To meet population health goals, early abnormalities of the cervix and breast must be treated promptly to maximize the chance for cure. The AMPATH Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (ABCCCP) was initiated to improve access to screening and diagnostic services for breast and cervical cancer in Kenya by addressing the barriers of cancer care through a population health approach, working with communities and the Ministry of Health in Kenya with a potential for scaling these efforts to other parts of the region. Methods: We performed an interim analysis 3 years into a 5-year program, to assess the impact of COVID-19 on our screening program. Statistical descriptive summaries were used to show the trend of screening using visual inspection with acetic acid and breast clinical examination. The screening was conducted facility-based along with community screening upon requests across nine counties. Also, we conducted capacity building through mentoring of health care providers and initiating a telemedicine program to improve patient care and management plans. Results: From 2018-2021, we conducted training, connected 12 centers with telemedicine capacity and screened a total of 100,973 persons were for breast and cervical cancer. The yearly trends demonstrate that the facility routine screenings were maintained: 23,421 (2018); 27,997 (2019); and 28,045 (2020). The total women seen through organized mass screenings however declined (10,304 (2018); 10,107 (2019); and 1,099 (2020), respectively) as this type of screening was stopped after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Of all women screened, 3,019 (2.98%) had clinical abnormalities requiring follow-up per standard of care including 1,781(1.8%) who were eventually histologically confirmed to have cancer. During our first and second year of the program, 83 physicians were trained on cancer management and treatment, 341 nurses were trained on breast and cervical cancer screening procedures, and 247 community health workers (CHW) were trained on the importance of screening to enlighten the community on awareness. However, this training was suspended in our year three due to COVID-19. Conclusions: An integrated training program utilizing CHW, nurses and physicians are an effective means for breast and cervical cancer screening in LMC, such as Kenya. This capacity building allows flexibility and sustainability even in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. We also demonstrated successful integration with the county government for program sustainability. The use of telemedicine has greatly enhanced our screening and patient care across several facilities in western Kenya.

scholarly journals MP02: The impact of adoption of an electronic health record on emergency physician work: a time motion study

CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S42-S43
Author(s):  
S. Calder-Sprackman ◽  
G. Clapham ◽  
T. Kandiah ◽  
J. Choo-Foo ◽  
S. Aggarwal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Emergency Physician ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Physical Movement ◽  
Time Motion ◽  
Motion Study ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Adoption of a new Electronic Health Record (EHR) can introduce radical changes in task allocation, work processes, and efficiency for providers. In June 2019, The Ottawa Hospital transitioned from a primarily paper based EHR to a comprehensive EHR (Epic) using a “big bang” approach. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the transition to Epic on Emergency Physician (EP) work activities in a tertiary care academic Emergency Department (ED). Methods: We conducted a time motion study of EPs on shift in low acuity areas of our ED (CTAS 3-5). Fifteen EPs representing a spectrum of pre-Epic baseline workflow efficiencies were directly observed in real-time during two 4-hour sessions prior to EHR implementation (May 2019) and again in go live (August 2019). Trained observers performed continuous observation and measured times for the following EP tasks: chart review, direct patient care, documentation, physical movement, communication, teaching, handover, and other (including breaks). We compared time spent on tasks pre Epic and during go live and report mean times for the EP tasks per patient and per shift using two tailed t-test for comparison. Results: All physicians had a 17% decrease in patients seen after Epic implementation (2.72/hr vs 2.24/hr, p < 0.01). EPs spent the same amount of time per patient on direct patient care and chart review (direct patient care: 9min06sec/pt pre vs 8min56sec/pt go live, p = 0.77; chart review: 2min47sec/pt pre vs 2min50sec/pt go live, p = 0.88), however, documentation time increased (5min28sec/pt pre vs 7min12sec/pt go live, p < 0.01). Time spent on shift teaching learners increased but did not reach statistical significance (31min26sec/shift pre vs 36min21sec/shift go live, p = 0.39), and time spent on non-patient-specific activities – physical movement, handover, team communication, and other – did not change (50min49sec/shift pre vs 50min53sec/shift go live, p = 0.99). Conclusion: Implementation of Epic did not affect EP time with individual patients - there was no change in direct patient care or chart review. Documentation time increased and EP efficiency (patients seen per hr on shift) decreased after go live. Patient volumes cannot be adjusted in the ED therefore anticipating the EHR impact on EP workflow is critical for successful implementation. EDs may consider up staffing 20% during go live. Findings from this study can inform how to best support EDs nationally through transition to EHR.

scholarly journals Understanding the Role of Advanced Practice Providers in Oncology in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. e518-e532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suanna S. Bruinooge ◽  
Todd A. Pickard ◽  
Wendy Vogel ◽  
Amy Hanley ◽  
Caroline Schenkel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Gynecologic Oncology ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Patient Counseling ◽  
Number Of Patients

Purpose: Advanced practice providers (APPs, which include nurse practitioners [NPs] and physician assistants [PAs]) are integral members of oncology teams. This study aims first to identify all oncology APPs and, second, to understand personal and practice characteristics (including compensation) of those APPs. Methods: We identified APPs who practice oncology from membership and claims data. We surveyed 3,055 APPs about their roles in clinical care. Results: We identified at least 5,350 APPs in oncology and an additional 5,400 who might practice oncology. Survey respondents totaled 577, which provided a 19% response rate. Results focused on 540 NPs and PAs. Greater than 90% reported satisfaction with career choice. Respondents identified predominately as white (89%) and female (94%). NPs and PAs spent the majority (80%) of time in direct patient care. The top four patient care activities were patient counseling (NPs, 94%; PAs, 98%), prescribing (NPs, 93%; PAs, 97%), treatment management (NPs, 89%; PAs, 93%), and follow-up visits (NPs, 81%; PAs, 86%). A majority of all APPs reported both independent and shared visits (65% hematology/oncology/survivorship/prevention/pediatric hematology/oncology; 85% surgical/gynecologic oncology; 78% radiation oncology). A minority of APPs reported that they conducted only shared visits. Average annual compensation was between $113,000 and $115,000, which is approximately $10,000 higher than average pay for nononcology APPs. Conclusion: We identified 5,350 oncology APPs and conclude that number may be as high as 7,000. Survey results suggest that practices that incorporate APPs routinely rely on them for patient care. Given the increasing number of patients with and survivors of cancer, APPs are important to ensure access to quality cancer care now and in the future.

scholarly journals Role of Oncology Clinical Pharmacists in Light of the Oncology Workforce Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 270-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolynn K. Sessions ◽  
John Valgus ◽  
Sally Yowell Barbour ◽  
Lew Iacovelli
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Clinical Pharmacists

To date, the information published regarding workforce implications has focused on physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. But oncology clinical pharmacists also can assist with direct patient care and patient education activities.

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