Summary
Importance of a computerised records system in observation units of Hospital Emergency Departments
Alonso Formento E, Calpe Gil MJ, Ros Tristán CM, Garzarán Teijeiro A, Martínez Burgui JA, Galve Royo F
Affiliation of the authors
Emergency Department. Hospital “Obispo Polanco”. Teruel, Spain.
DOI
Quote
Alonso Formento E, Calpe Gil MJ, Ros Tristán CM, Garzarán Teijeiro A, Martínez Burgui JA, Galve Royo F. Importance of a computerised records system in observation units of Hospital Emergency Departments. Emergencias. 2008;20:35-40
Summary
Aims: To assess the value of using an electronic medical record in the emergency department
observation unit, and to describe the different types of data records in hospital
emergency department observation units of Spain.
Methods: Retrospective observational study to review the activity data recorded in our
hospital observation unit during the last three years. A telephone survey in 183 hospital
emergency departments was also performed, and we obtained information on different
types of data records for patients admitted in the observation unit.
Results: From 2004 to 2006 9536 patients (10,46% patients admitted) were transferred
to our hospital observation unit. The most common diagnoses of these patients
were respiratory disease, abdominal and chest pain. The average length of stay of these
patients in this area was 9 hours and 20 minutes. Among the 183 hospital emergency
departments surveyed, the observation unit was absent in 6,01%, there was a
complete electronic data record in 10,47%, and data record lacked in 8,72%.
Conclusions: Currently, electronic data records are not widely used in Spanish emergency
department observation units. Medical activity at the observation units must be
recorded, assessed and evaluated periodically, in order to help to predict the need of
medical resources and develop quality markers.