International journal of medical informatics
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As the demands on the emergency medicine (EM) system continue to increase, improvements in the organization of work and the access to timely clinical and system information will be required for providers to manage their workload in a safe and efficient manner. Information technology (IT) solutions are beginning to find their place in the emergency department (ED) and it is time to begin understanding how these systems are effecting physician behavior, communication and workload. ⋯ The results indicate that the electronic whiteboard improves the efficiency of work and communication in the ED. IT solutions may have great utility in improving provider situational awareness and distributing workload among ED providers. The results also demonstrate that IT solutions alone will not solve all problems in the ED. IT solutions will probably be most effective in improving efficiency and safety outcomes when paired with human-based interventions, such as crew resource management. Future studies must investigate team interaction, workload and situational awareness, and the association of these factors to patient and provider outcomes.