Analyzing the Impact of Health Information Technology Adoption on Nursing Workflow Efficiency

Posted: Apr 06, 2025

• Nadia Barrett
• Colton Shaw
• Tessa Lawson

Abstract

This research presents a novel methodological framework for evaluating the complex relationship between health information technology (HIT) adoption and nursing workflow efficiency through a multi-dimensional temporal analysis approach. Unlike previous studies that primarily employed cross-sectional surveys or limited observational methods, our investigation integrates continuous workflow monitoring, adaptive time-motion studies, and real-time cognitive load assessment across three distinct healthcare environments over an eighteen-month implementation period. The study introduces the concept of 'technological assimilation latency' as a critical metric for understanding the non-linear progression of efficiency gains following HIT implementation. Our findings reveal that conventional efficiency metrics fail to capture the nuanced workflow adaptations that nurses develop in response to digital system integration. We identified four distinct patterns of workflow transformation: immediate efficiency degradation followed by gradual improvement, sustained efficiency with increased cognitive burden, variable efficiency dependent on patient acuity, and emergent efficiency through unexpected workflow innovations. The research demonstrates that the relationship between HIT adoption and nursing workflow efficiency is not merely correlational but involves complex adaptive system behaviors that previous methodological approaches have inadequately captured. Our results challenge the prevailing assumption that HIT implementation uniformly improves efficiency and instead suggest that successful integration requires recognizing and supporting the organic workflow adaptations that nursing staff develop in response to technological change.