Enhancing the quality of health care delivery through the use of electronic clinical documentation

Lack of access to clinical information has been recognized as a significant barrier to the delivery of a high quality health care system. This study uses action research to explore how electronic nursing documentation can enhance the quality of health care delivery in a small, rural hospital. The research findings determined that the quality of nursing documentation and access to clinical information improved with the implementation of an electronic nursing documentation system, and this has contributed to a decrease in time spent on direct patient care activities by nurses. The study found contradictory results for quality of care and clinical practice questions. Recommendations include actions for system improvements and future research.