Measuring a Nursing Need Degree using the Data of the Hospital Information System

Abstract

 The degree of patients' need for nursing is evaluated quantitatively, using nursing care records. In order to ensure that nursing staff do not make mistaken evaluations they must receive training on patient evaluation, increasing the burden on them. In this study we evaluated the degree of need for nursing, based on electronic medical records (EMR) extracted from hospital information system (HIS), and considered the clinical applications. Electronic medical records over a one-week period were extracted from HIS for patients admitted with acute illness at our hospital. The degree of need for nursing was measured using a measurement table for nursing need and the actual EMR. The calculated degree of nursing need was then compared with the nursing need evaluation of nursing staff. The results show it is possible to measure nursing need from EMR, and to compare and monitor together with nursing staff evaluations.