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Australian Health Review Australian Health Review Society
Journal of the Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Breaking the mould without breaking the system: the development and pilot of a clinical dashboard at The Prince Charles Hospital

Kevin W. Clark A D , Elizabeth Whiting B , Jeffrey Rowland A , Leah E. Thompson B , Ian Missenden A and Gerhard Schellein C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Road, Chermside, Qld 4032, Australia. Email: jeffrey_rowland@health.qld.gov.au; ian_missenden@health.qld.gov.au

B Internal Medicine Services, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Road, Chermside, Qld 4032, Australia. Email: elizabeth_whiting@health.qld.gov.au; leah_thompson@health.qld.gov.au

C eHealth, Queensland Health, Rode Road, Chermside, Qld 4032, Australia. Email: gerhard_schellein@health.qld.gov.au

D Corresponding author. Email: kevin_clark@health.qld.gov.au

Australian Health Review 37(3) 304-308 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH12018
Submitted: 22 October 2012  Accepted: 13 March 2013   Published: 24 May 2013

Abstract

There is a vast array of clinical and quality data available within healthcare organisations. The availability of this data in a timely and easy to visualise way is an essential component of high-performing healthcare teams. It is recognised that good quality information is a driver of performance for clinical teams and helps ensure best possible care for patients. In 2012 the Internal Medicine Program at The Prince Charles Hospital developed a clinical dashboard that displays locally relevant information alongside relevant hospital and statewide metrics that inform daily clinical decision making. The data reported on the clinical dashboard is driven from data sourced from the electronic patient journey board in real time as well as other Queensland Health data sources. This provides clinicians with easy access to a wealth of local unit data presented in a simple graphical format that is being captured locally and arranged on a single screen so the information can be monitored at a glance. Local unit data informs daily decisions that identify and confirm patient flow problems, assist to identify root causes and enable evaluation of patient flow solutions.


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