Evaluation of nursing-specific drug information PDA databases used as clinical decision support tools

BackgroundNursing is arguably the most organizationally diverse healthcare profession. Educational backgrounds may vary, even among similarly credentialed nurses. Drug information databases used as clinical decision support tools can improve access to pharmacologic information at point-of-care when housed on personal digital assistants. They may also help address the disparity in drug information and pharmacology education between nurses.ObjectivesTo evaluate nursing-specific drug information database content on personal digital assistants (PDAs).MethodsSeven nursing-specific PDA databases were evaluated for scope (absence or presence of an answer) and completeness (three-point scale) via the use of 80 general category and 80 subspecialty drug information questions. Erroneous information was also tracked. Individual scope and completeness scores were delineated by rank order and chi square was performed to determine differences in scope and completeness scores between the databases.ResultsDavis's Drug Guide for Nurses (DDGN) and Nursing Lexi-Drugs (NLD) tied for the highest scores for scope, including each answering 72.5% of the 160 evaluation questions. No significant differences existed between their scores and those earned by Nursing2008 Drug Handbook (p < 0.05). The highest scores for completeness were earned by NLD with 58.1% and DDGN at 57.1%. Saunders Nursing Drug Handbook was the only database that showed a significantly lower score in completeness as compared to the other six databases (p < 0.05). A 4.2% overall error rate was found among database answers.DiscussionSignificant differences were found among the performances in the databases evaluated in this study for their ability to answer commonly encountered drug information issues in nursing practice. All databases contained some erroneous information and even the top performers failed to provide answers to more than one-fourth of the questions posed. The availability of accurate and timely drug information at point-of-care can play a vital role in patient management and outcomes, but current resources that are available need to be improved.