The Effects of Integrated IT Support on the Prehospital Stroke Process: Results from a Realistic Experiment

Stroke is a serious condition and the stroke chain of care is a complex. The present study aims to explore the impact of a computerised decision support system (CDSS) for the prehospital stroke process, with focus on work processes and performance. The study used an exploratory approach with a randomised controlled crossover design in a realistic contextualised simulation experiment. The study compared clinical performance among 11 emergency medical services (EMS) teams of 22 EMS clinicians using (1) a computerised decision support system (CDSS) and (2) their usual paper-based process support. Data collection consisted of video recordings, postquestionnaires and post-interviews, and data were analysed using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. In this experiment, using a CDSS improved patient assessment, decision making and compliance to process recommendations. Minimal impact of the CDSS was found on EMS clinicians’ self-efficacy, suggesting that even though the system was found to be cumbersome to use it did not have any negative effects on self-efficacy. Negative effects of the CDSS include increased on-scene time and a cognitive burden of using the system, affecting patient interaction and collaboration with team members. The CDSS’s overall process advantage to the prehospital stroke process is assumed to lead to a prehospital care that is both safer and of higher quality. The key to user acceptance of a system such as this CDSS is the relative advantages of improved documentation process and the resulting patient journal. This could improve the overall prehospital stroke process.