Pooya Kazemi1,2,3, Francis Lau2, Allan F Simpao4, R J Williams5, Clyde Matava6,7. 1. South Island Department of Anesthesia, Victoria, BC, Canada. 2. Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. 3. School of Health Information Science, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. 4. Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. 5. Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. 6. Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. Clyde.matava@sickkids.ca. 7. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Clyde.matava@sickkids.ca.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) are gradually replacing paper documentation of anesthesia care. This study sought to determine the current status of AIMS adoption and the level of health informatics expertise in Canadian academic anesthesia departments. METHODS: Department heads or their designates of Canadian academic anesthesia departments were invited by e-mail to complete an online survey between September 2019 and February 2020. The survey elicited information on current AIMS or future plans for an AIMS installation, the number of department members dedicated to clinical informatics issues, the gross level of health informatics expertise at each department, perceived advantages of AIMS, and perceived disadvantages of and barriers to implementation of AIMS. RESULTS: Of the 64 departments invited to participate, 63 (98.4%) completed the survey. Only 21 (33.3%) of the departments had AIMS. Of the 42 departments still charting on paper, 23 (54.8%) reported planning to install an AIMS within the next five years. Forty-six departments (73%) had at least one anesthesiologist tasked with dealing with AIMS or electronic health record issues. Most reported having no department members with extensive knowledge or formal training in health informatics. The top three perceived barriers and disadvantages to an AIMS installation were its initial cost, lack of funding, and a lack of technical support dedicated specifically to AIMS. The top three advantages departments wished to prioritize with AIMS were accurate clinical documentation, better data for quality improvement initiatives, and better data for research. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of Canadian academic anesthesia departments are still using paper records, but this trend is expected to reverse in the next five years as more departments install an AIMS. Health informatics expertise is lacking in most of the departments, with a minority planning to support the training of future anesthesia informaticians.
PURPOSE: Anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) are gradually replacing paper documentation of anesthesia care. This study sought to determine the current status of AIMS adoption and the level of health informatics expertise in Canadian academic anesthesia departments. METHODS: Department heads or their designates of Canadian academic anesthesia departments were invited by e-mail to complete an online survey between September 2019 and February 2020. The survey elicited information on current AIMS or future plans for an AIMS installation, the number of department members dedicated to clinical informatics issues, the gross level of health informatics expertise at each department, perceived advantages of AIMS, and perceived disadvantages of and barriers to implementation of AIMS. RESULTS: Of the 64 departments invited to participate, 63 (98.4%) completed the survey. Only 21 (33.3%) of the departments had AIMS. Of the 42 departments still charting on paper, 23 (54.8%) reported planning to install an AIMS within the next five years. Forty-six departments (73%) had at least one anesthesiologist tasked with dealing with AIMS or electronic health record issues. Most reported having no department members with extensive knowledge or formal training in health informatics. The top three perceived barriers and disadvantages to an AIMS installation were its initial cost, lack of funding, and a lack of technical support dedicated specifically to AIMS. The top three advantages departments wished to prioritize with AIMS were accurate clinical documentation, better data for quality improvement initiatives, and better data for research. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of Canadian academic anesthesia departments are still using paper records, but this trend is expected to reverse in the next five years as more departments install an AIMS. Health informatics expertise is lacking in most of the departments, with a minority planning to support the training of future anesthesia informaticians.
Keywords:
anesthesia; anesthesia information management systems; health information management; informatics
Authors: Janny Xue Chen Ke; Daniel I McIsaac; Ronald B George; Paula Branco; E Francis Cook; W Scott Beattie; Robin Urquhart; David B MacDonald Journal: Can J Anaesth Date: 2022-08-22 Impact factor: 6.713