Medical Protocol Complience

A large regional medical center suffered from low compliance with bedside documentation protocols among nursing staff. Nurses complained the computer carts used to enter patient information were awkward, so they left them outside and completed their documentation upon finishing with the patient. To encourage compliance with bedside documentation, the hospital invested in expensive hand-held computers, which nurses were expected to carry with on their rounds. But upon visiting the ward, administrators were shocked and see the digital devices on the charging stations and the nurses still using the computer carts in the hallway. To address the problem, Halverson Group sent field researchers into the hospital to shadow nurses and recorded their findings using custom iPad application. As a result of the study, it became apparent that the interface on the hand-held device was unusually difficult to use and the nurses were afraid to lose the respect of their patients when they fumbled with the device. Our solution was to replace the device which one with a better form-factor and work with the development team to make specific improvements to the interface. Additionally, we conducted hands-on training to ensure that all nurses were capable and confident using the new devices. As a result of our intervention, documentation compliance increased to nearly 100%.