Efficient use of medical IS: diagnosing chest pain
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the contribution of medical information systems (IS) to efficient use of information when diagnosing chest pain complaints with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as regards ordering of tests and accuracy of diagnosis.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 102 physicians were asked to diagnose three cases of chest pain in patients consulting an emergency department (ED) in a simulation study. Half of the participants had access to a medical IS with complete patient information and the other half of the physicians did not.
Findings
It was found that participants who viewed the medical IS ordered fewer clinical examinations. Participants who viewed the medical histories made a more accurate main differential diagnosis (DD) of AMI. Physicians with access to the medical history reported significantly higher levels of confidence in their decisions, regardless of seniority.
Originality/value
The findings suggest that IS leads to better utilization of medical services, greater efficiency and lower costs and thus has implications for other healthcare sectors.
Keywords
Citation
Ben‐Assuli, O. and Leshno, M. (2012), "Efficient use of medical IS: diagnosing chest pain", Journal of Enterprise Information Management, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 413-423. https://doi.org/10.1108/17410391211245865
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited