The peace of paper: Patient lists as work tools

• Use of paper-based tools suggests requirements are not met with electronic tools.
• There are needs for non-intrusive tools for handling information at the bedside.
• The patient list support situated documenting not available in current EPR systems.

IntroductionPaper-based documents are subject to problems related to storage, loss, distribution and editing. Many organizations have introduced ICT-based processes to reduce the use of paper as primary documentation. Nevertheless, paper documents are still being used in healthcare.PurposeTo better understand this situation, we have studied the use of paper-based patient lists in two wards in a Norwegian hospital that has ‘gone digital’. We seek to answer the question: “Why is it that paper-based patient lists are maintained in the ward of a hospital going digital?”MethodsParticipant observations and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders.ResultsPatient lists allow nurses to immediately record, retrieve, and share relevant patient information at the point of care in a way that is not immediately available through the EPR system. Paper-based tools continue to serve purposes beyond and outside what is currently supported by current electronic information systems.