Impacts of information and communication technologies on nursing care: an overview of systematic reviews (protocol)
Protocol
1 Faculty of Nursing, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
2 Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, 850 rue St-Denis, Tour St-Antoine, third floor, Door S03-422, Montreal H2X 0A9, QC, Canada
3 Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Québec, St.-François d’Assise Hospital, 10 rue de l’Espinay, D6-734, Quebec City G1L 3L5, QC, Canada
4 Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Door 5099, Pavillon Marguerite-d’Youville, C.P. 6128 succ. Centre-ville, Montréal H3C 3J7, Québec, Canada
Systematic Reviews 2015, 4:75Â
doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0062-y
Published: 23 May 2015
Abstract (provisional)
Background Information and communication technologies (ICTs) used in the health sector
have well-known advantages. They can promote patient-centered healthcare, improve
quality of care, and educate health professionals and patients. However, implementation
of ICTs remains difficult and involves changes at different levels: patients, healthcare
providers, and healthcare organizations. Nurses constitute the largest health provider
group of the healthcare workforce. The use of ICTs by nurses can have impacts in their
practice. The main objective of this review of systematic reviews is to systematically
summarize the best evidence regarding the effects of ICTs on nursing care. Methods/design
We will include all types of reviews that aim to evaluate the influence of ICTs used
by nurses on nursing care. We will consider four types of ICTs used by nurses as a
way to provide healthcare: management systems, communication systems, information
systems, and computerized decision support systems. We will exclude nursing management
systems, educational systems, and telephone systems. The following types of comparisons
will be carried out: ICT in comparison with usual care/practice, ICT compared to any
other ICT, and ICT versus other types of interventions. The primary outcomes will
include nurses’ practice environment, nursing processes/scope of nursing practice,
nurses’ professional satisfaction as well as nursing sensitive outcomes, such as patient
safety, comfort, and quality of life related to care, empowerment, functional status,
satisfaction, and patient experience. Secondary outcomes will include satisfaction
with ICT from the nurses and patients’ perspective. Reviews published in English,
French, or Spanish from 1 January 1995 will be considered. Two reviewers will independently
screen the title and abstract of the papers in order to assess their eligibility and
extract the following information: characteristics of the population and setting,
type of interventions (e.g., type of ICTs and service provided), comparisons, outcomes,
and review limitations. Any disagreements will be resolved by discussion and consensus
involving the two reviewers or will involve a third review author, if needed. Discussion
This overview is an interesting starting point from which to compare and contrast
findings of separate reviews regarding the positive and negative effects of ICTs on
nursing care. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42014014762.