Workflow integration analysis of a human factors-based clinical decision support in the emergency department

Numerous challenges with the implementation, acceptance, and use of health IT are related to poor usability and a lack of integration of the technologies into clinical workflow, and have, therefore, limited the potential of these technologies to improve patient safety. In this study from HIP Investigator Dr. Brian Patterson, a definition and conceptual model of health IT workflow integration is proposed.

Using interviews of 12 emergency department (ED) physicians, 134 excerpts of barriers and facilitators  to workflow integration were identified of a human factors (HF)-based clinical decision support (CDS) implemented in the ED. Using data on these 134 barriers and facilitators, they distinguish 25 components of workflow integration of the CDS, which are described according to four dimensions of workflow integration: time, flow, scope of patient journey, and level. The proposed definition and conceptual model of workflow integration can be used to inform health IT design.