Evaluating emergency department information technology using a simulation-based approach

Manual status boards, which are used in many emergency departments to track patient and ED status information, are being replaced with electronic patient tracking systems. Such technology transitions can be challenging for the users and can produce undesirable consequences if the new technologies are not properly designed and tested. Understanding the impact of technologies such as electronic patient tracking systems before implementation in a real ED can help avert adverse safety consequences and promote user adoption. However, it is challenging to test technologies in real-world domains such as an ED, due to time pressures and safety critical tasks. A more feasible alternative is to employ simulation in a lab-based environment. This paper describes research measuring situation awareness and workload during user interaction with a simulated electronic patient tracking system. The impact of technology design on situation awareness and workload, and insights on design improvement are discussed.