Usability survey of an inpatient electronic clinical communication platform at a large New Zealand tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: Internationally, there is significant published literature indicating low levels of clinical satisfaction with the digital electronic clinical record. Many New Zealand hospitals are currently undergoing a process of digitisation. The aim of the current study was to determine the usability of the inpatient clinical documentation and communication platform known as Cortex approximately one year after full deployment at Christchurch Hospital. METHODS: Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury staff were invited via their work email to complete an online questionnaire. It was comprised of the System Usability Scale (SUS) survey (industry standard mean scores: 50-69 marginal, and ≥70 acceptable) and one additional question about the participant's clinical profession within the organisation. RESULTS: A total of 144 responses were received during the study period. The median SUS score was 75 with an interquartile range (IQR) of 60-87.5. The median IQR SUS scores did not significantly differ among the different occupation groups: 78 (65-90) for doctors; 70 (57.5-82.5) for nurses; and 73 (55.6-84.4) for allied health staff (p=0.268). Additionally, 70 qualitative responses were recorded. Three themes were identified through the analysis of the participants' responses. These were: the need for integration with other electronic systems; implementation issues; and fine-tuning the functionality of Cortex. CONCLUSIONS: The current study revealed good usability of Cortex. The user experience was equivalent among the various professions of the study's participants (doctors, nurses, and allied health staff). The present study provides a useful benchmark for Cortex at a point-of-time, and it sets up potential to periodically repeat this survey to see how new functionality has added to (or detracted from) its usability.

Increase of Human Milk Fat Inducing Nutritional Ketosis in Exclusively Breastfed Infant, Brought About by Treating the Mother With Ketogenic Dietary Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Medicalized Ketogenic Therapy is commonly used to treat refractory epilepsy. Patients have varying degrees of seizure or symptom relief, responding at individual levels of ketone production. Typically, initiating the therapy necessitates the discontinuation of breastfeeding. Our case study mother was keen to continue breastfeeding if possible. We were able to achieve this by placing the healthy mother on a ketogenic diet and altering the composition of the mother's own milk. MAIN LACTATION ISSUE: Pediatric Medicalized Ketogenic Therapy is delivered through a ketogenic diet consisting of up to 90% fat, measuring of ingredients to 0.1 g matching a food prescription of fat, protein, and carbohydrate. We placed the mother on a less stringent ketogenic diet achieving 61% fat and measured both infant and mother's blood sugar levels and ketones. The hypothesis was that changes would occur in the mother's own milk fat content, and/or ketones would be passed directly to the infant. If therapeutic levels of ketones were reached in the infant and a reduction in seizures observed, breastfeeding could continue. MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW: Over 3 months we achieved a calorific increase of the mother's mature milk by an additional 134%. The infant was successfully put into nutritional ketosis and visible seizures eliminated. CONCLUSION: Medicalized Ketogenic Therapy can be safely used to treat seizures of breastfeeding infants diagnosed with epilepsy, through management of the mother on a ketogenic diet. Significantly increasing the mature mothers own milk fat component could have implications for other areas, including faltering growth.