The peace of paper: patient lists as work tools.

Abstract

Paper-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. To 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?" Participant observations and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. Patient 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.