Original Paper From Page 26:  Efficacy of Tablet device use in Clinical Settings by Peters A, Mekhail P, Bruce D and Lawson J

Efficacy of Tablet device use in Clinical Settings

 Peters A, Mekhail P, Bruce D, Lawson J

ABSTRACT

Objective -  To quantify time savings a Tablet device can provide in a clinical setting. This is in comparison to the use of paper folders for looking up results on ward rounds, which are maintained daily with stationary PC’s.

Setting: Secondary care in one General Surgical department

Participants: 194 p­articipants were selected across two individual weeks. Week one had 100 participants, Week two had 94 participants. Inclusion criteria were any patient for which blood and/or radiology results were required to be looked up during a ward round. Patients not meeting these criteria were excluded.

Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measured was time taken to look up results during a ward round using on Week one the paper folders, and on Week two the Tablet device. Secondary outcome measurement was time taken per week to maintain the paper folders.

Results: The Tablet takes an average of 0.88s (+/- 0.14s 95%CI) to look up blood results. This saves roughly five seconds per patient (p<0.01) in comparison to the folders. The device also takes an average of 1.98s (+/- 0.93s 95%CI) to look up radiology results, and saves 23 seconds per patient (p<0.01).

The paper folders take on average 128.13 minutes per day to be maintained (p<0.01), with a margin of error of 62.1 minutes (95% CI). This equates to roughly 15 hours of work per week that the Tablet device negates the need for.

Conclusion: The Tablet demonstrates time savings per patient during a ward round and also saves time per week by cutting down on paperwork no longer required to be maintained. This would appear to be both efficient and cost-effective.

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