SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)1995
Has general practitioner computing made a difference to patient care? A systematic review of published reports.
Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 1995. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The relationship between consultation length, process and outcomes in general practice: a systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2002Pooled it
- A descriptive feast but an evaluative famine: systematic review of published articles on primary care computing during 1980-97.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2001Pooled it
- A systematic review of the use of computers in the management of hypertension.Journal of epidemiology and community health · 1998Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials to evaluate computer-based clinical reminder systems for preventive care in the ambulatory setting.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIAPooled it
- Computer-generated patient education materials: do they affect professional practice? A systematic review.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIAPooled it
- The impact of electronic health records on time efficiency of physicians and nurses: a systematic review.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIAPooled it
- Targeted screening for pediatric conditions with the CHICA system.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIATrial
- Controlled trial of direct physician order entry: effects on physicians' time utilization in ambulatory primary care internal medicine practices.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIATrial
- Learning to use electronic health records: can we stay patient-centered? A pre-post intervention study with family medicine residents.BMC family practice · 2017Article
- Portuguese Family Physicians' Awareness of Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Costs: A Cross-Sectional Study.PloS one · 2015Article
- Overview of systematic reviews of the effectiveness of reminders in improving healthcare professional behavior.Systematic reviews · 2012Review
- Development of a prototype clinical decision support tool for osteoporosis disease management: a qualitative study of focus groups.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2010Article
- Assessing the accuracy of an inter-institutional automated patient-specific health problem list.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2010Article
- Do electronic health records affect the patient-psychiatrist relationship? A before & after study of psychiatric outpatients.BMC psychiatry · 2010Article
- Leaders, leadership and future primary care clinical research.BMC family practice · 2008Article
- Instant availability of patient records, but diminished availability of patient information: a multi-method study of GP's use of electronic patient records.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2008Article
- Do family physicians know the costs of medical care? Survey in British Columbia.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2004Article
- The feasibility of using pattern recognition software to measure the influence of computer use on the consultation.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2003Article
- Turning the tide on drugs.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2003Article
- Time to reverse that altruism bypass...The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2002Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo review findings from studies of the influence of desktop computers on primary care consultations.
designSystematic review of world reports from 1984 to 1994.
settingThe computerised catalogues of Medline, BIDS, and GPlit were searched, as well as conference proceedings, books, bibliographies, and references in books and journal articles. SUBJECTS: 30 papers met the inclusion criteria and were included for detailed review.
interventionsA validated scheme for assessing methodological adequacy was used to score each paper.
main outcome measuresPapers were rated on sample formation, baseline differences, unit of allocation, outcome measures, and follow up. Differences in outcomes were also recorded.
resultsFour of the six papers dealing with the consultation process showed that consultations took longer. Doctor initiated and "medical" content of consultations increased at the expense of a reduction in patient initiated and "social" content. Each of the 21 studies which looked at clinician performance showed an improvement when a computer was used (from 8% to 50%, with better results for single preventive measures). Only one of the three studies looking at patient outcomes showed an improvement (diastolic blood pressure control 5 mm Hg better after one year, with fewer doctor-patient consultations).
conclusionsUsing a computer in the consultation may help improve clinician performance but may increase the length of the consultation. More studies are needed to assess the effects on patient outcomes of using a computer in consultations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.