Ease of use
Most respondents who answered the question on ease of use agreed or strongly agreed that Patientrack was easy to use (Fig 2). However, 47% (27 out of 57) reported that using the system took longer than the paper version; this finding has been explored further in a subsequent study, which is yet to be published. It appears staff valued Patientrack, as 66% of respondents (36 out of 54) felt it should be rolled out to the rest of the hospital.
Clinical areas that frequently use bank or agency staff reported finding it challenging, at times, to ensure appropriately trained staff were available to record patients’ vital signs on the electronic system. Technical challenges (for example, passwords expiring and problems accessing log-in details) were also reported; these prevented some staff members from electronically recording vital signs.