Understanding communication capacity. Communication patterns and ICT usage in clinical settings.

Organizational complexity and interruptive workflows present challenges to communication in clinical workspaces, compromising healthcare quality and cost, and potentially leading to negative patient outcomes. To understand how information communication technology (ICT) could be improved, we reviewed the literature on inter-clinician communication problems, impacts on clinical workflows, ICT usage and barriers to communication. Our search yielded more than 300 articles; 98 met our inclusion criteria. In general, we found that clinical communication tends to flow along synchronous channels and is highly interruptive. Both electronic and non-electronic solutions to communication problems have met with mixed results. Implementation failures have been linked to barriers to technology adoption, including such factors as age, gender and computer experience. More research is needed to understand how improved communication reduces adverse clinical events and healthcare costs. Cost-effective ICTs to improve communication efficiency and workflow patterns in healthcare settings have great potential to enhance quality of care and reduce medical costs.