Healthc Inform Res.  2015 Jul;21(3):191-195. 10.4258/hir.2015.21.3.191.

Usability of Academic Electronic Medical Record Application for Nursing Students' Clinical Practicum

• Choi M
• Lee HS
• Park JH

• KMID: 2125188
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4258/hir.2015.21.3.191

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Nursing curricula for undergraduate nursing students need to reflect the information technology used in current nursing practice. A smart-device Academic Electronic Medical Record (AEMR) application can help nursing students access and document records for the clinical practicum. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the usability of an AEMR application before applying it to the clinical nursing practicum.
METHODS
A previously developed EMR application was modified as an AEMR to access patient information at bedside and to practice documentation. We added several features to the current EMR application to create an AEMR environment. We created a series of document forms and several useful scales on an external application, which included nursing admission notes, vital signs, and intake/output. The case scenarios and tasks were created by a research team to evaluate aspects of AEMRs, including their usability and functionality. Five nursing students completed 15 tasks using a think-aloud method with a tablet device.
RESULTS
Minor usability issues were identified and rectified. All participants indicated that they became familiar with the application with little effort. They said that the application icons were intuitive, which helped them find patient information more quickly and accurately.
CONCLUSIONS
The application will improve timely access to patient data and documentation for nursing students. We are confident that this AEMR application will enhance nursing students' experience with their clinical practicum, and help them to better understand patient conditions and document them with ideal accessibility.

Keyword

Nursing Education; Computerized Medical Records Systems; Mobile Applications; Nursing Records; Pilot Projects

MeSH Terms

Curriculum
Education, Nursing
Electronic Health Records*
Humans
Medical Records Systems, Computerized
Mobile Applications
Nursing Records
Nursing*
Pilot Projects
Students, Nursing
Vital Signs
Weights and Measures

Figure

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  Figure 1 Usability test to evaluate the Academic Electronic Medical Record (AEMR) application.

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