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Comparative Study
. 2007 Nov-Dec;14(6):722-30.
doi: 10.1197/jamia.M2377. Epub 2007 Aug 21.

The impact of e-prescribing on prescriber and staff time in ambulatory care clinics: a time motion study

William Hollingworth  1 , Emily Beth Devine, Ryan N Hansen, Nathan M Lawless, Bryan A Comstock, Jennifer L Wilson-Norton, Kathleen L Tharp, Sean D Sullivan
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The impact of e-prescribing on prescriber and staff time in ambulatory care clinics: a time motion study

William Hollingworth et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2007 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Electronic prescribing has improved the quality and safety of care. One barrier preventing widespread adoption is the potential detrimental impact on workflow. We used time-motion techniques to compare prescribing times at three ambulatory care sites that used paper-based prescribing, desktop, or laptop e-prescribing. An observer timed all prescriber (n = 27) and staff (n = 42) tasks performed during a 4-hour period. At the sites with optional e-prescribing >75% of prescription-related events were performed electronically. Prescribers at e-prescribing sites spent less time writing, but time-savings were offset by increased computer tasks. After adjusting for site, prescriber and prescription type, e-prescribing tasks took marginally longer than hand written prescriptions (12.0 seconds; -1.6, 25.6 CI). Nursing staff at the e-prescribing sites spent longer on computer tasks (5.4 minutes/hour; 0.0, 10.7 CI). E-prescribing was not associated with an increase in combined computer and writing time for prescribers. If carefully implemented, e-prescribing will not greatly disrupt workflow.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Screen shot of e-prescribing system.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Screen from the Palm® PDA showing the major task categories and the computer-related minor task categories.
Figure 3
Figure 3
a) Task categories of prescribers; b) Task categories of staff.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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