The data quality and applicability of a Danish prehospital electronic health record: A mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND: Without accurate documentation, it can be difficult to assess the quality of care and the impact of quality improvement initiatives. Prehospital lack of documentation of the basic measurements is associated with a twofold risk of mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate data quality in the electronic prehospital patient record (ePPR) system in the Region of Southern Denmark. In addition, we investigated ambulance professionals' attitudes toward the use of ePPR and identified barriers and facilitators to its use.

METHOD: We used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Phase one consisted of a retrospective assessment of the data quality of ePPR information, and phase two included semi-structured interviews with ambulance professionals combined with observations. We included patients who were acutely transported to an emergency department by ambulance in the Region of Southern Denmark from 2016 to 2020. Data completeness was calculated for each vital sign using a two-way table of frequency. Vital signs were summarised to calculate data correctness. Interviews and observations were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Overall, an improvement in data completeness and correctness was observed from 2016-2020. When stratified by age group, children (<12 years) accounted for the majority of missing vital sign registrations. In the thematic analysis, we identified four themes; ambulance professionals' attitudes, emergency setting, training and guidelines, and tablet and software.

CONCLUSION: We found high data quality, but there is room for improvement. The ambulance professionals' attitudes toward the ePPR, working in an emergency setting, a notion of insufficient training in completing the ePPR, and challenges related to the tablet and software could be barriers to data completeness and correctness. It would be beneficial to include the end-user when developing an ePPR system and to consider that the tablet should be used in emergency situations.