The Impact of Dashboard Utilization on Quality of Care in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review

Introduction: An adequate information system and management are pivotal to support communication and decision-making in the emergency department (ED). The use of a dashboard (visual display of data management), which consists of quality and clinical dashboards, efficiently provides information to manage ED processes and improve the quality of care. This study aims to evaluate the impact of dashboard utilization on ED quality of care and user experiences. Methods: In this systematic review, six databases (i.e., PubMed, MEDLINE OVID, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, and EMBASE) were used to search relevant articles. The final search was conducted on April 22, 2024. Data collection was carried out using a data extraction form. All articles were scanned, read full-text, and analyzed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Results: Fifty-six full-text papers were retrieved, of which 23 were included in the review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The impact of dashboard utilization on quality of care was categorized as timeliness (length of stay, boarding time, waiting time), safety (medication safety), patient-centered care (patient satisfaction and leave without being seen), efficiency (order for radiology, ED bed occupancy, cost, admission, drug prescription), and effectiveness (prognosis). Over the years, most of the studies measured the impact of dashboard utilization on timeliness and efficiency domains. No studies have yet measured the impact of the equity domain. From the user’s perspective, dashboard usability was categorized as average to good. Situation awareness indicated as good where the highest scaled item was concentration support. Conclusion: ED dashboard utilization affects timeliness, safety, patient-centered care, efficiency, and effectiveness domains. Future research is required to measure the impact of the equity dashboard and optimize artificial intelligence dashboard utilization. This is the first systematic review evaluating the impact of using dashboards on the quality of care in the ED.