Improving Access to Clinical Information in an Emergency Department: a Qualitative Study

Abstract

We studied the information flow in an emergency department (ED) to understand how patient information flows between providers and how information from a computerized ambulatory system, which was not well integrated with the hospital information systems at the time, could be used. The study aimed to identify possible methods that could push information from an ambulatory EHR system to providers with minimal interference with the ED’s current workflow. The ED’s information flow was mapped and a strategy for making ambulatory encounter information available was identified.