3 YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH A PATIENT DATA MANAGEMENT-SYSTEM AT A NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT

We report about our experience with the patient data management system (PDMS) Hewlett Packard CareVue 9000 at two neonatal ICUs. We describe our PDMS configuration (hard-and software), local adjustments and enh ancements such as knowledge based systems for calculating the parenter al nutrition of newborn infants (VIE-PNN), for advising medication (VI E-Nmed), and for managing mechanical ventilation (VIE-VENT), and the r esults of a structured interview with our staff members about the acce ptance of the system. Despite some criticism nearly all collaborators liked the system, especially because of its time saving automated docu mentation of vital data and mechanical ventilation parameters. More th an 2/3 preferred the computer assisted documentation to charting by ha nd, only 1/41 would have liked to return to paper documentation. All s taff members possessed excellent (15/39) or good (24/39) knowledge of the system. Main points of critique were the system's therapy planning facilities (medication administration records), the restrictive facil ities for documenting patient care and the yet unsolved problems of da ta evaluation and export. PDM systems have to be constantly adapted to the user's needs and to the changing clinical environment. Living wit h the system asks for an intensive dialog with the system and its func tionalities, for creativity and well defined ideas about the future sy stem development.