Clinical Information System

Antonio 15 December 2009 page 26 The use of the Clinical Information Systems (CIS) therefore enhances the patient care by improving access to clinical data, reducing errors, tracking compliance with high quality standards and providing decision support (Lapinsky et al 2008). The ICU is a data rich environment so in such cases errors that can occur will be due to the enormous volume of data. According to the Institute of Medicine Report "To Err Is Human" errors that occur in the ICU has risk as high as 17.7% for death or disability and about 46% for any type of adverse event (Andrews, Stocking, Krizek et al 1997). Today thanks to technology the massive amounts of information generated during critical care are documented and stored using the CIS. This essay will critically review fifteen empirical literatures in relation to the benefits of using the CIS in ICU and critique their findings while comprehending issues associated with the critical review of these published articles. This research topic was chosen because I work in an intensive care unit where CIS has recently been introduced to optimize the documentation process. Secondly the unit is considering the type of system which will be tolerable, safe, efficient and enhance patients quality of life and is cost effective (reducing nursing & patient time and money).

Intensive care unit (ICU) or Critical Care Unit (CCU is a specialized department in acute hospitals across the country. The ICU setting provides life support or organ support systems for patients who are critically ill and require intensive and advance monitoring (Lapinsky et al 2008). As these patients in ICU are critically ill, the hospital staff members are required to provide a rapid, high quality care, whilst avoiding or reducing errors.