Proc Annu Symp Comput Appl Med Care 1994;:636-40

User comments on a clinical event monitor.

Hripcsak G, Clayton PD.

Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.

Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center's health care providers have access to
alerts and interpretations generated by an Arden Syntax-based clinical event
monitor. They have the opportunity to send comments to the clinical information
services staff. Over a period of 26 months, they sent 126 comments. The comments
were analyzed using the critical incident technique, resulting in a hierarchy of
categories that summarizes user concerns. The majority of comments (65)
indicated that the messages were actually (8) or at least potentially useful
(57). A minority (28) indicated that they were unhelpful (27) or actually
harmful (1). Another group (27) made suggestions or asked questions. The
comments have been very helpful for the maintenance of Medical Logic Modules
(MLMs) and the clinical event monitor itself.