Assessment of diagnostic accuracy in nursing: Paper versus decision support system

Abstract

Objective: To compare the degree of accuracy of certain nursing diagnoses, for nursing students in system decision support and paper-based records. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study with a sample of 17 undergraduate nursing students. The data collection was conducted through forms of characterization of students and one clinical case, validated previously, for the indication of the system and paper-based diagnostic. The diagnostic accuracy was assessed by the Scale for Accuracy of Nursing Diagnoses (SAND) and non-parametric tests. Results: There was statistical significance in the highly accurate diagnosis (p=0.013), when graduate students used the system for decision support, demonstrating the determination of more accurate diagnosis in clinical case studies. Conclusion: The use of decision support systems favors the diagnostic accuracy of nursing and is inferred that it can support clinical reasoning of nursing students.