Care Clinical Information System Research Articles

Incidence and prevalence of generalized pustular psoriasis in multiethnic Johor Bahru, Malaysia: a population-based cohort study using routinely captured electronic health records in the Teleprimary Care (TPC®) clinical information system from 2010 to 2020.

There is limited understanding of the epidemiology of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) internationally, with no population-based estimates of GPP in SouthEast Asia. To determine the incidence and prevalence of GPP in the Malaysian population and characterize its flares and trigger factors. We conducted a population-based cohort study using the Teleprimary Care database between January 2010 and December 2020. We identified 230 dermatologist-confirmed GPP cases using International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, diagnostic codes. Annual prevalence and incidence rates were stratified by age, sex and ethnicity. We compared data regarding flares and trigger factors for patients with GPP who had associated psoriasis vulgaris (PV) with those who did not have associated PV. The prevalence of GPP was 198 per million (267 women, 127 men) and incidence was 27.2 per million person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 22.8-31.6]; 35.3 (28.4-42.2) per million person-years for women and 18.3 (13.1-23.5) per million person-years for men. Rates were higher in Chinese individuals [prevalence 271 per million; incidence 41.6 per million person-years (28.9-54.3)] than in the Malay population [prevalence 186; incidence 24.6 (19.4-29.7)] or the Indian ethnic group [prevalence 179; incidence 25.0 (13.8-36.3)]. Annual prevalence was consistently higher in women than in men and highest among the Chinese population, followed by the Indian and Malay populations. Overall, 67% of patients with GPP had associated PV. The prevalence and incidence of GPP without PV were lower than GPP with PV at 66 vs. 132 per million and 19.3 (95% CI 15.6-23.0) vs. 8.0 (95% CI 5.6-10.3) per million person-years, respectively. The mean age at GPP onset was 42.7 years (SD 18.4). A bimodal trend in the age of GPP onset was observed, with first and second peaks at age 20-29 years and age 50-59 years, respectively. Disease onset was significantly earlier in patients with GPP without PV than in those with PV [mean age 37.5 years (SD 20.7) vs. 44.9 years (SD 17.0), P = 0.026]. Flares occurred more frequently in patients without PV than in those with PV [mean number of flares per patient per year was 1.35 (SD 0.77) vs. 1.25 (SD 0.58), P = 0.039]. Common triggers of flares in patients with GPP who did not have PV were infections, pregnancy, menstruation and stress, whereas withdrawal of therapy, particularly systemic corticosteroids, was a more frequent trigger in patients with GPP who also had PV. Our findings contribute to the global mapping of GPP, which will help inform the management of this rare condition.

Incidence and prevalence of psoriasis in multiethnic Johor Bahru, Malaysia: a population-based cohort study using electronic health data routinely captured in the Teleprimary Care (TPC®) clinical information system from 2010 to 2020: Classification: Epidemiology.

There are no population-based epidemiological data on psoriasis in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. To determine the incidence and prevalence of psoriasis over 11 years in multiethnic Johor Bahru, Malaysia. A population-based cohort study was made using the Teleprimary Care database between January 2010 and December 2020. Cases of psoriasis, identified by ICD-10 diagnostic codes, were validated by dermatologists. Annual prevalence and incidence were estimated and stratified by age, sex and ethnicity. We identified 3932 people with dermatologist-confirmed psoriasis, including 1830 incident cases, among 1 164 724 Malaysians, yielding an 11-year prevalence of 0·34% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·33-0·35] and incidence of 34·2 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI 32·6-35·8). Rates were higher in Indian patients; the prevalences were 0·54% (0·50-0·58) in Indian, 0·38% (0·36-0·40) in Chinese and 0·29% (0·28-0·30) in Malay patients, and the respective incidences per 100 000 person-years were 52·5 (47·3-57·7), 38·0 (34·1-41·8) and 30·0 (28·2-31·8). Rates were higher in males; the prevalence was 0·39% (0·37-0·41) in males and 0·29% (0·27-0·30) in females, and the respective incidences per 100 000 person-years were 40·7 (38·2-43·2) and 28·3 (26·4-30·3). Between 2010 and 2020, annual psoriasis prevalence and incidence increased steadily from 0·27% to 0·51% and from 27·8 to 60·9 per 100 000 person-years, respectively. Annual rates were consistently higher in male and Indian patients. Overall, psoriasis was significantly more common in males than females [odds ratio (OR) 1·37, 95% CI 1·29-1·46] and in Indian and Chinese patients vs. Malay (OR 1·85, 1·71-2·01 and OR 1·30, 1·20-1·41, respectively). Prevalence increased with age, with the highest rates in the groups aged 50-59 and 60-69 years at 0·67% and 0·66%, respectively. A modest bimodal trend in age of psoriasis onset was observed, with first and second peaks at 20-29 and 50-59 years. Disease onset was significantly earlier in females than males [mean (SD) 36·8 (17·3) vs. 42·0 (17·2) years, P < 0·001] and in Malay vs. Indian and Chinese patients [mean (SD): Malay 36·4 (17·5), Indian 40·8 (15·2), Chinese 47·4 (16·9) years, P < 0·001]. We found that psoriasis incidence and prevalence are increasing and varied by age, sex and ethnicity. Our findings should help inform healthcare planning and management for patients with psoriasis in Malaysia. What is already known about this topic? The incidence and prevalence of psoriasis are generally lower in Asian populations and children. There is a lack of agreement on sex-specific differences in psoriasis incidence and prevalence. There has been no population-based study on the incidence and prevalence of psoriasis in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. There is no information on differences in psoriasis prevalence and incidence by sex, age and ethnicity in Malaysia. What does this study add? Psoriasis incidence and prevalence are increasing in the multiethnic population of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Incidence and prevalence rates were higher in male than female patients and were consistently highest among Indian patients, followed by Chinese and Malay. A modest bimodality in the age of psoriasis onset was observed among the groups aged 20-29 and 50-59 years. Psoriasis onset was significantly later in male than female patients and in Chinese vs. Indian and Malay patients.

Impact of a computerized decision support tool deployed in two intensive care units on acute kidney injury progression and guideline compliance: a prospective observational study

BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) affects a large proportion of the critically ill and is associated with worse patient outcomes. Early identification of AKI can lead to earlier initiation of supportive therapy and better management. In this study, we evaluate the impact of computerized AKI decision support tool integrated with the critical care clinical information system (CCIS) on patient outcomes. Specifically, we hypothesize that integration of AKI guidelines into CCIS will decrease the proportion of patients with Stage 1 AKI deteriorating into higher stages of AKI.MethodsThe study was conducted in two intensive care units (ICUs) at University Hospitals Bristol, UK, in a before (control) and after (intervention) format. The intervention consisted of the AKIN guidelines and AKI care bundle which included guidance for medication usage, AKI advisory and dashboard with AKI score. Clinical data and patient outcomes were collected from all patients admitted to the units. AKI stage was calculated using the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) guidelines. Maximum AKI stage per admission, change in AKI stage and other metrics were calculated for the cohort. Adherence to eGFR-based enoxaparin dosing guidelines was evaluated as a proxy for clinician awareness of AKI.ResultsEach phase of the study lasted a year, and a total of 5044 admissions were included for analysis with equal numbers of patients for the control and intervention stages. The proportion of patients worsening from Stage 1 AKI decreased from 42% (control) to 33.5% (intervention), p = 0.002. The proportion of incorrect enoxaparin doses decreased from 1.72% (control) to 0.6% (intervention), p < 0.001. The prevalence of any AKI decreased from 43.1% (control) to 37.5% (intervention), p < 0.05.ConclusionsThis observational study demonstrated a significant reduction in AKI progression from Stage 1 and a reduction in overall development of AKI. In addition, a reduction in incorrect enoxaparin dosing was also observed, indicating increased clinical awareness. This study demonstrates that AKI guidelines coupled with a newly designed AKI care bundle integrated into CCIS can impact patient outcomes positively.

Defining the high-risk patient

As the volume of surgery continues to grow worldwide, the identification of high-risk patients is an important goal to guide clinical decision making in the perioperative period. Risk stratification evolved over the last decade from simple risk stratification tools, still used widely in the clinical arena to more sophisticated risk prediction models based on machine learning and latent class analysis, which can be incorporated into a well-developed electronic patient record or critical care clinical information system. As the debate about which patients will benefit most from critical care admission and interventions is still ongoing, the identification of the high-risk patient is a continuing challenge. In this review we will summarise the latest developments in the use of these risk stratification tools and risk prediction models, which can be utilised to identify the high-risk surgical candidate.

Physician satisfaction with a critical care clinical information system using a multimethod evaluation of usability

IntroductionPhysician satisfaction with electronic medical records has often been poor. Usability has frequently been identified as a source for decreased satisfaction. While surveys can identify many issues, and are logistically easier to administer, they may miss issues identified using other methods This study sought to understand the level of physician satisfaction and usability issues associated with a critical care clinical information system (eCritical Alberta) implemented throughout the province of Alberta, Canada. MethodAll critical care attending physicians using the system were invited to participate in an online survey. Questions included components of the User Acceptance of Information Technology and Usability Questionnaire as well as free text feedback on system components. Physicians were also invited to participate in a think aloud test using simulated scenarios. The transcribed think aloud text and questionnaire were subjected to textual analysis. Results82% of all eligible physicians completed the on-line survey (n = 61). Eight physicians were invited and seven completed the think aloud test. Overall satisfaction with the system was moderate. Usability was identified as a significant factor contributing to satisfaction. The major usability factors identified were system response time and layout. The think aloud component identified additional factors beyond those identified in the on-line survey. ConclusionThis study found a modestly high level of physician satisfaction with a province-wide clinical critical care information system. Usability continues to be a significant factor in physician satisfaction. Using multiple methods of evaluation can capture the benefits of a large sample size and deeper understanding of the issues.

Towards public health surveillance of intensive care services in NSW, Australia.

Outbreaks of known and novel pathogens causing very severe illness increase the risk to public health in a globalised community and alarm the public. Intensive care units (ICUs) may be an underused setting for public health surveillance. This study investigates the electronic Record for Intensive Care (eRIC), an electronic clinical information and management system being developed for New South Wales ICUs, and its surveillance opportunity offerings. The surveillance benefits being introduced by the eRIC were evaluated through consultation with stakeholders and the eRIC program team. The consultation process involved providing stakeholders with background information about the eRIC system. Based on the consultation, a draft data and information model for surveillance was developed. The model was evaluated using guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Population health stakeholders confirmed that the eRIC offers an appealing surveillance data source for pathogens and other hazards causing severe illness. Suggested application of the surveillance included, for known hazards, seasonal and pandemic influenza, enterovirus 71, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli 0104:H4 and parechovirus. The proposed surveillance model uses syndromic rather than specific-cause surveillance. It may offer greater timeliness and sensitivity than relying on reporting of diagnoses of specific pathogens. Five syndromes derived from clinical pathways in the eRIC are proposed: severe acute respiratory disease, severe acute neurological disease, sepsis or septicaemia, jaundice or hepatitis, and acute renal failure. New intensive care clinical information systems offer a largely untapped resource for continuous, mainstream, rapid ICU surveillance of severe illness. A continuous, mainstream, rapid ICU surveillance facility that will readily adapt to emergency situations would be a valuable resource for protecting population health. This study establishes a firm basis on which ICU surveillance can be developed.

US critical care pharmacy practices and clinical information systems: a Hospira® Pharmacist Award Grant Report

AbstractThis is a grant report on a study preceptorship undertaken in intensive care units at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore); University of Chicago Medical Center; University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital; RUSH University Medical Center (Chicago); Indiana University Health University and Methodist Hospitals (Indianapolis); St Vincent's Hospital (Indianapolis); and Eskenazi Health (Indianapolis). Key learning points from US critical care pharmacy practice models, Residency Programs, Specialist Board Certification and clinical information systems are highlighted. Comparisons between US and Australian practices are discussed. Hospira® and the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia are acknowledged for funding this study preceptorship.

Development and validation of a scale for the assessment of pressure injuries the the mouth and oral mucosa: The reaper Oral Mucosa Pressure Injury Scale (ROMPIS)

The Intensive Care Clinical Information System (ICCIS) Program commenced in 2011 and is the largest program of its type globally. ICCIS, initiated by intensive care clinicians, is being delivered collaboratively by the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) Intensive Care Services Network, eHealth ICCIS Program Team and iMDsoft. Underpinning this high performance team is strong collaboration, clinical engagement, communication and leadership for the design, build and delivery of the ICCIS solution. The Clinical Engagement Model was embedded in the development of ICU business requirements to inform the selection, design and build of the ICCIS solution for NSW. A proactive communications and engagement plan was implemented, the Agile Project Management model adopted, and organisational change management framework developed. TheACI ICCISWorkingGroupwas established in 2013 toprovide clinical leadership for the project and production phases. Formation of ACI ICCIS WG Subject Matter Expert Reference Groups for reporting, pharmacy, technical, research, paediatric and neonatal requirements followed. Clinician engagement has increased throughout the ICCIS Program with a 400% increase in active voluntary clinician participation from the initial clinical evaluation group (n=18) to the establishment of the ACI ICCIS Working Group and specialty subgroups (n=70) in the design and build phase. Effective engagementwith the broader ICU community through proactive communications was demonstrated by an increase in viewer hits from 400 in 12 months (2013 first video release) to 480 in two weeks with the second video release in 2014. The success of the ICCIS Program’s clinical leadership and engagement demonstrates the impact of a high performance collaborative team. The success of the ICCIS Program is contingent on active engagement of intensive care clinicians to deliver ICCIS on behalf of clinicians for the benefit of patient care and clinician satisfaction.

A high performance team delivering a state-wide Intensive Care Clinical Information System (ICCIS) for NSW

The Intensive Care Clinical Information System (ICCIS) Program commenced in 2011 and is the largest program of its type globally. ICCIS, initiated by intensive care clinicians, is being delivered collaboratively by the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) Intensive Care Services Network, eHealth ICCIS Program Team and iMDsoft. Underpinning this high performance team is strong collaboration, clinical engagement, communication and leadership for the design, build and delivery of the ICCIS solution. The Clinical Engagement Model was embedded in the development of ICU business requirements to inform the selection, design and build of the ICCIS solution for NSW. A proactive communications and engagement plan was implemented, the Agile Project Management model adopted, and organisational change management framework developed. TheACI ICCISWorkingGroupwas established in 2013 toprovide clinical leadership for the project and production phases. Formation of ACI ICCIS WG Subject Matter Expert Reference Groups for reporting, pharmacy, technical, research, paediatric and neonatal requirements followed. Clinician engagement has increased throughout the ICCIS Program with a 400% increase in active voluntary clinician participation from the initial clinical evaluation group (n=18) to the establishment of the ACI ICCIS Working Group and specialty subgroups (n=70) in the design and build phase. Effective engagementwith the broader ICU community through proactive communications was demonstrated by an increase in viewer hits from 400 in 12 months (2013 first video release) to 480 in two weeks with the second video release in 2014. The success of the ICCIS Program’s clinical leadership and engagement demonstrates the impact of a high performance collaborative team. The success of the ICCIS Program is contingent on active engagement of intensive care clinicians to deliver ICCIS on behalf of clinicians for the benefit of patient care and clinician satisfaction.

Direct complications of the Avalon bicaval dual-lumen cannula in respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO): Single-center experience.

Cannulation for veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VVECMO) may involve a single site when using a dual-lumen cannula. Benefits include a decrease in blood recirculation, easier patient mobilization, and lower risk of dislodgment. We aimed to review all complications related to the cannula. The study included all adult patients admitted to a single intensive care unit (ICU), between November 2009 and September 2013, requiring VVECMO in whom an Avalon Cannula was inserted. The list of patients, complications, and patient data were retrieved from the local ECMO database and the intensive care Clinical Information System (CIS). Seventy two patients were cannulated with an Avalon cannula between November 1, 2009 and September 31, 2013. Forty-four patients had no cannula-related complications. A total of 35 complications were recorded in 28 patients, 6 of whom required further intervention. Successful cannulation was possible in all patients with the majority of complications graded as minor.

Short and long term improvements in quality of chronic care delivery predict program sustainability

Empirical evidence on sustainability of programs that improve the quality of care delivery over time is lacking. Therefore, this study aims to identify the predictive role of short and long term improvements in quality of chronic care delivery on program sustainability.In this longitudinal study, professionals [2010 (T0): n=218, 55% response rate; 2011 (T1): n=300, 68% response rate; 2012 (T2): n=265, 63% response rate] from 22 Dutch disease-management programs completed surveys assessing quality of care and program sustainability. Our study findings indicated that quality of chronic care delivery improved significantly in the first 2 years after implementation of the disease-management programs. At T1, overall quality, self-management support, delivery system design, and integration of chronic care components, as well as health care delivery and clinical information systems and decision support, had improved. At T2, overall quality again improved significantly, as did community linkages, delivery system design, clinical information systems, decision support and integration of chronic care components, and self-management support. Multilevel regression analysis revealed that quality of chronic care delivery at T0 (p<0.001) and quality changes in the first (p<0.001) and second (p<0.01) years predicted program sustainability. In conclusion this study showed that disease-management programs based on the chronic care model improved the quality of chronic care delivery over time and that short and long term changes in the quality of chronic care delivery predicted the sustainability of the projects.

Intensive Care Information System Impacts

Introduction:Today, intensive care needs to be increased with a prospect of an aging population and socioeconomic factors influencing health intervention, but there are some problems in the intensive care environments, it is essential to resolve. The intensive Care information system has the potential to solve many of ICU problems. The objective of the review was to establish the impact of intensive care information systems on the practitioners practice, patient outcomes and ICU performance.Methods:Scientific databases and electronic journal citations was searched to identify articles that discussed the impacts of intensive care information system on the practices, patient outcomes and ICU performance. A total of 22 articles discussing ICIS outcomes was included in this study from 609 articles initially obtained from the searches.Results:Pooling data across studies, we found that the median impact of ICIS on information management was 48.7%. The median impact of ICIS on user’ outcomes was 36.4%, impact on saving tips by 24%, clinical decision support by a mean of 22.7%, clinical outcomes improved by a mean of 18.6%, and researches improved by 18%.Conclusion:The functionalities of ICIS are growing day by day and new functionalities are available with every major release. Better adoption of ICIS by the intensive care environments emphasizes the opportunity of better intensive care services through patient oriented intensive care clinical information systems. There is an immense need for developing guidelines for standardizing ICIS to to maximize the power of ICISs and to integrate with HISs. This will enable intensivists to use the systems in a more meaningful way for better patient care. This study provides a better understanding and greater insight into the effectiveness of ICIS in improving patient care and reducing health care expenses.

Chronic Care Model Decision Support and Clinical Information Systems Interventions for People Living with HIV: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUNDThe Chronic Care Model is an effective framework for improving chronic disease management. There is scarce literature describing this model for people living with HIV. Decision Support (DS) and Clinical Information Systems (CIS) are two components of this model that aim to improve care by changing health care provider behavior.OBJECTIVEOur aim was to assess the effectiveness of DS and CIS interventions for individuals with HIV, through a systematic literature review.DESIGNWe performed systematic electronic searches from 1996 to February 2011 of the medical (E.g. Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL) and grey literature. Effectiveness was measured by the frequency of statistically significant outcome improvement. Data and key equity indicator extraction and synthesis was completed.PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONSWe included comparative studies of people living with HIV that examined the impact of DS or CIS interventions on outcomes.MAIN MEASURESThe following measures were assessed: outcome (immunological/virological, medical, psychosocial, economic measures) and health care process/performance measures.KEY RESULTSRecords were screened for relevance (n = 10,169), full-text copies of relevant studies were obtained (n = 123), and 16 studies were included in the review. Overall, 5/9 (55.6%) and 17/41 (41.5%) process measures and 5/12 (41.7%) and 3/9 (33.3%) outcome measures for DS and CIS interventions, respectively, were statistically significantly improved. DS–explicit mention of implementation of guidelines and CIS-reminders showed the most frequent improvement in outcomes. DS-only interventions were more effective than CIS-only interventions in improving both process and outcome measures. Clinical, statistical and methodological heterogeneity among studies precluded meta-analysis. Primary studies were methodologically weak and often included multifaceted interventions that made assessment of effectiveness challenging.CONCLUSIONSOverall, DS and CIS interventions may modestly improve care for people living with HIV, having a greater impact on process measures compared to outcome measures. These interventions should be considered as part of strategies to improve HIV care through changing provider performance.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-012-2145-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Validation of the Work Observation Method By Activity Timing (WOMBAT) method of conducting time-motion observations in critical care settings: an observational study

BackgroundElectronic documentation handling may facilitate information flows in health care settings to support better coordination of care among Health Care Providers (HCPs), but evidence is limited. Methods that accurately depict changes to the workflows of HCPs are needed to assess whether the introduction of a Critical Care clinical Information System (CCIS) to two Intensive Care Units (ICUs) represents a positive step for patient care. To evaluate a previously described method of quantifying amounts of time spent and interruptions encountered by HCPs working in two ICUs.MethodsObservers used PDAs running the Work Observation Method By Activity Timing (WOMBAT) software to record the tasks performed by HCPs in advance of the introduction of a Critical Care clinical Information System (CCIS) to quantify amounts of time spent on tasks and interruptions encountered by HCPs in ICUs.ResultsWe report the percentages of time spent on each task category, and the rates of interruptions observed for physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and unit clerks. Compared with previously published data from Australian hospital wards, interdisciplinary information sharing and communication in ICUs explain higher proportions of time spent on professional communication and documentation by nurses and physicians, as well as more frequent interruptions which are often followed by professional communication tasks.ConclusionsCritical care workloads include requirements for timely information sharing and communication and explain the differences we observed between the two datasets. The data presented here further validate the WOMBAT method, and support plans to compare workflows before and after the introduction of electronic documentation methods in ICUs.

Development of a clinical data warehouse from an intensive care clinical information system

There are relatively few institutions that have developed clinical data warehouses, containing patient data from the point of care. Because of the various care practices, data types and definitions, and the perceived incompleteness of clinical information systems, the development of a clinical data warehouse is a challenge. In order to deal with managerial and clinical information needs, as well as educational and research aims that are important in the setting of a university hospital, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands, developed a data warehouse incrementally. In this paper we report on the in-house development of an integral part of the data warehouse specifically for the intensive care units (ICU-DWH). It was modeled using Atos Origin Metadata Frame method. The paper describes the methodology, the development process and the content of the ICU-DWH, and discusses the need for (clinical) data warehouses in intensive care.

Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine–Clinical Terms direction and its implications on critical care

Purpose The aim of this study was to describe the new advancements in Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine–Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) terminology and its applicability to critical care documentation. Materials and Methods Narrative review of existing literature published in indexed medical and health informatics journals and of gray literature available on the Internet and personal communication with authors and researchers engaged in SNOMED-CT projects related to critical care are conducted. Results Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine–Clinical Terms is a system of comprehensive health and clinical terminology that covers most of the needs of health care documentation. It will potentially become the terminology of clinical enterprise and administrative information systems. Despite a ground swell of international support from health information management experts, the terminology remains unknown to most clinicians. We discuss the reasons why clinical familiarity with SNOMED-CT is an important prerequisite to proceeding with local or national electronic health records or clinical information systems. Conclusions We propose that SNOMED-CT is suitable for use in critical care; however, work is urgently required to validate the completeness of terminology and to determine clinicians' perceptions on the utility of such a standardized terminology for use in critical care clinical information systems.

Quality benefits of an intensive care clinical information system.

This study was performed to quantify the quality benefits and staff perceptions of a computerized clinical information system implementation in an intensive care unit. Although clinical information systems have been available and implemented in many intensive care units for more than a decade, there is little objective evidence of their impact on the quality of care and staff perceptions. A longitudinal observational study before and after clinical information system implementation. A 12-bed adult general intensive care unit in a large Australian tertiary referral teaching hospital. Implementation of a fully featured clinical information system to replace paper-based charts of patient observations, clinical records, results reporting, and drug prescribing. The frequency of clinical adverse events over a 4-yr period using an established reporting system was examined. Pre- and postimplementation staff questionnaires were distributed and analyzed. There were significant reductions in the rates of medication, intravenous therapy, and ventilator incidents. There was a trend toward a reduction in pressure sores. The survey, utilizing a validated questionnaire, demonstrated a positive perception of the clinical information system by nursing staff, with less time spent in documentation and more time in patient care. Nursing staff recruitment and retention improved after clinical information system implementation. Implementation of a fully featured clinical information system was associated with significant improvements in key quality indicators, positive nursing staff perceptions, and some positive resource implications.