Quantifying the Operational Benefits of a Core Clinical Information System

This paper describes a clinical information system that focusses on three critical aspects: 1) the system should fit into the ward workflow and increase productivity; 2) attention to detail in the user interface, which maximises user acceptance and ensures that minimal - or no - training is required; 3) a minimal core information set that is captured so that the system is simple yet useful. After implementation for several months in two busy medical wards of a major teaching hospital, a post-implementation study showed quantifiable benefits in accuracy and productivity.