Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32768721›Full record

ArticleApplied ergonomics2020

Gains, losses, and uncertainties from computerizing referrals and consultations.

Michael Weiner, April Savoy, Barry C Barker

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Applied ergonomics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. A Surgeon's Field Guide to Value-Based Specialty Care.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2025
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Michael WeinerCenter for Health Information and Communication, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development Service CIN 13-416, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
April SavoyCenter for Health Information and Communication, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development Service CIN 13-416, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Electronic address: asavoy@iupui.edu.
Barry C BarkerCenter for Health Information and Communication, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development Service CIN 13-416, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Funding

Quality Assurance and Quality Control Project Management: Improving Submissions and Study Conduct in the Human Subjects Research Prior Approval ProcessUL1TR002529 · NCATS · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI MOE, SHARON M, WIEHE, SARAH ELIZABETH · 2018 to 2022
$27.2M
Translating Measures of Visual Experience to Children with Autism and Down SyndromeKL2TR002530 · NCATS · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI ROBB, SHERI L · 2018 to 2022
$4.8M
Improving Consultation Management between Primary Care and Sub-Specialty ClinicsI01HX000892 · VA · RLR VA MEDICAL CENTER · PI WEINER, MICHAEL · 2014 to 2014
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VA HSR&D Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC)I50HX001235 · VA · RLR VA MEDICAL CENTER · PI WEINER, MICHAEL · 2015 to 2015
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HSRD VA I01 HX000892HSRD VA I50 HX001235NCATS NIH HHS KL2 TR002530NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002529
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Consultations entail transitions in care between referrers and consultants, as patients visit different clinicians and care sites. This complex process has been consistently prone to communication breakdowns. Despite expectations and benefits of electronic health records (EHRs), incomplete, vague, or inappropriate referrals continue to hinder consultations; referrals can be sent to the wrong specialty service; and consultation findings frequently fail to reach referrers. Due to the inadequate support of interpersonal communication afforded by EHRs, these issues persist. Important aspects of ergonomics and human factors engineering frequently appear overlooked during the design and implementation of EHRs. Usability issues have contributed to delays in medical diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Some of these delays contribute to patient harms. Our multidisciplinary team of clinicians and ergonomics professionals reflects on referral and consultation. We describe how computerization in healthcare should benefit from approaches informed and developed through applied ergonomics and human factors.

Indexed as

ErgonomicsSystems AnalysisElectronic Health RecordsHumansReferral and ConsultationTransitional CareElectronic health recordsHuman factors and ergonomicsReferral and consultation

Identifiers

PMID32768721
PMCPMC7484235

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.