The development and evaluation of a nursing information system for caring clinical in-patient

Psychometric Testing of the Slovene Version of the Perceived Inventory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing

The Perceived Inventory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing (PITCCN) questionnaire has been designed to measure technological competency as caring in nursing practice. It incorporates the use of technology with the fundamental principles of caring that are central to nursing. As there were no psychometrically sound instruments to quantify the concept of technological competency as caring in the Slovene language, we adapted the English version of the questionnaire to the local environment. The goal was to assess the level of psychometric properties of the PITCCN investigated in Slovene hospitals.

METHODS

Content validity was conducted with eight experts and quantified by the content validity index (CVI) and the modified Cohen's kappa index. Face validity was assessed through discussions with participants from the target culture in the pilot study. To assess construct validity and internal consistency, a cross-sectional research methodology was used on a convenience sample of 121 nursing personnel from four hospitals. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to examine construct validity, while Cronbach's alpha and adjusted item-total correlations were used to measure internal consistency.

RESULTS

The content and face validity of PITCCN were adequate. The scale validity index (S-CVI) was 0.97. Cronbach's α was 0.92, and subscale reliabilities ranged from 0.810 to 0.925. PCA showed four components, which explained more than 73.49% of the variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The Slovenian version of PITCCN (PITCCN_SI) has good psychometric properties.

A retrospective cohort study evaluating the improvement of medical records management based on whole-process control

BACKGROUND

Whole-process management is a novel approach widely applied in industry and commerce; however, it is not widely used in the management of medical records in hospitals.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the application of whole-process control in the administration of a hospital's medical records department to achieve refined management of medical records.

METHODS

Whole-process control is a management measure that begins with process conception and implementation and includes control over all processes. The control group included medical records that were created prior to the implementation of whole-process control, i.e., those created between June 1 and December 31, 2020. The observation group included medical records that were created after the implementation of whole-process control. The behavior of the medical records staff (in terms of medical record collection, sorting, entry, inquiry, and supply) and the final quality of the medical records (the number of grade-A medical records and their front-page quality) were compared between the two groups, and subjective judgments related to staff satisfaction were reviewed.

RESULTS

The implementation of whole-process control improved the behavior of the medical records staff. The final quality of the medical records was also improved, as was the job satisfaction of the medical records staff.

CONCLUSION

Implementing whole-process control improved the management of medical records and quality of medical records.

Behavioral Feasibility of the Clinical Nursing Information System

Background:

Analysis of humanitarian issues affecting the implementation time of information systems to increase the acceptance of these systems is essential.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess the behavioral feasibility of the clinical nursing information system.

Methods:

An applied cross-sectional study was conducted with 348 nurses in 2015. Data were collected by face to face interviews and a questionnaire containing 33 questions, which were rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed, and its reliability was estimated 0.90 through Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and t-test.

Results:

An average score of behavioral feasibility was 67.44%. The rate of supply provided for implementing the clinical nursing information system was 55.2%, which was in a semi-favorable level. The necessity of system deployment in the clinical nursing sector had the highest frequency (88.2%) and interference of redesigning structures with the current work had the lowest frequency (43.6%).

Conclusion:

The possibility of implementation of the clinical nursing information system in a behavioral dimension is at a semi-favorable level. To increase the acceptance of the system, presenting a new system as a positive change and further training of the nurses is recommended.

Testing of mechanical ventilators and infant incubators in healthcare institutions

The medical device industry has grown rapidly and incessantly over the past century. The sophistication and complexity of the designed instrumentation is nowadays rising and, with it, has also increased the need to develop some better, more effective and efficient maintenance processes, as part of the safety and performance requirements. This paper presents the results of performance tests conducted on 50 mechanical ventilators and 50 infant incubators used in various public healthcare institutions. Testing was conducted in accordance to safety and performance requirements stated in relevant international standards, directives and legal metrology policies. Testing of output parameters for mechanical ventilators was performed in 4 measuring points while testing of output parameters for infant incubators was performed in 7 measuring points for each infant incubator. As performance criteria, relative error of output parameters for mechanical ventilators and absolute error of output parameters for infant incubators was calculated. The ranges of permissible error, for both groups of devices, are regulated by the Rules on Metrological and Technical Requirements published in the Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 75/14, which are defined based on international recommendations, standards and guidelines. All ventilators and incubators were tested by etalons calibrated in an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, which provides compliance to international standards for all measured parameters.The results show that 30% of the tested medical devices are not operating properly and should be serviced, recalibrated and/or removed from daily application.