Public health nurse perceptions of Omaha System data visualization

•The Omaha System data visualization was conducted on individual patient level.•The Omaha System data visualization helped public health nurses to easily track and monitor the individual patients’ data.•Public health nurses’ perceptions of Omaha System data visualization were generally positive.•The study provided the potential for using visualization techniques within EHRs.

BackgroundElectronic health records (EHRs) provide many benefits related to the storage, deployment, and retrieval of large amounts of patient data. However, EHRs have not fully met the need to reuse data for decision making on follow-up care plans. Visualization offers new ways to present health data, especially in EHRs. Well-designed data visualization allows clinicians to communicate information efficiently and effectively, contributing to improved interpretation of clinical data and better patient care monitoring and decision making. Public health nurse (PHN) perceptions of Omaha System data visualization prototypes for use in EHRs have not been evaluated.PurposeTo visualize PHN-generated Omaha System data and assess PHN perceptions regarding the visual validity, helpfulness, usefulness, and importance of the visualizations, including interactive functionality.MethodsTime-oriented visualization for problems and outcomes and Matrix visualization for problems and interventions were developed using PHN-generated Omaha System data to help PHNs consume data and plan care at the point of care. Eleven PHNs evaluated prototype visualizations.ResultsOverall PHNs response to visualizations was positive, and feedback for improvement was provided.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the potential for using visualization techniques within EHRs to summarize Omaha System patient data for clinicians. Further research is needed to improve and refine these visualizations and assess the potential to incorporate visualizations within clinical EHRs.