This journal club article presents a quality improvement study. It focuses on the optimisation of Electronic Health Record (EHR) design. The study also addresses implementation within a peri-operative children’s hospital setting. The research describes the use of human factors (HF) methods. It also includes the use of systems-focused simulation (SFS) methods. These methods were proactively applied to test a new EHR system before its official launch. The study utilised usability testing and in-situ simulations. Its aim was to identify and mitigate potential safety threats, inefficiencies, and usability issues. These identified issues could arise from the EHR’s integration with existing workflows. 

Journal Club Article: Dubé, M., Hron, J.D., Biesbroek, S. et al. Human factors and systems simulation methods to optimize peri-operative EHR design and implementation. Adv Simul 10, 23 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-025-00349-z

The findings highlight the significant number of recommendations generated to enhance safety. These recommendations also boost efficiency and usability. This underscores the benefits of this proactive approach to healthcare technology adoption. This methodology ensured a more user-centred design and improved the system’s alignment with actual clinical practice, aiming to prevent issues commonly found in post-implementation scenarios

Additional Resources

Nursing Education Network. (2025). Experience-Based Codesign & The Value of Observing Work-As-Done.

Mazur LM, Mosaly PR, Moore C, Marks L. Association of the usability of electronic health records with cognitive workload and performance levels among physicians. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(4): e191709. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.1709.

Grout RW, Hood D, Nelson SJ, Harris PA, Embí PJ. Selecting EHR-driven recruitment strategies: An evidence-based decision guide. J Clin Transl Sci. 2022;6(1):e108. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2022.439.

Grout RW, Hood D, Nelson SJ, Harris PA, Embí PJ. Selecting EHR-driven recruitment strategies: An evidence-based decision guide. J Clin Transl Sci. 2022;6(1):e108. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2022.439.