Desenvolvimento e validação de um software para o cálculo de escala de alerta precoce em enfermaria de um hospital de ensino

Abstract

Objective: To develop and evaluate the usability of a software as a facilitator in the implementation of the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) in the clinical and surgical wards of a teaching hospital. Method: A technological study describing the development and evaluation of a software for calculating the MEWS score during its implementation in the clinical and surgical wards. The MEWS data were calculated by the ward nurses based on the patients’ vital signs and neurological assessment using the

software. The 29 participating nurses completed the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. The SUS responses were analyzed using measures of central tendency, dispersion, and location. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was used to evaluate the research instrument, verifying whether its items were aligned with the research objectives. Results: Among the participants, 31% (9/29) suggested integrating the software into the hospital’s electronic medical record management system. Most of the evaluated items reached the maximum CVI of 1.00, demonstrating the high acceptability of the research instrument. Furthermore, the software’s usability, assessed through the SUS questionnaire, achieved the “best imaginable” result. Conclusion: The usability of the software developed as a facilitator in the implementation of MEWS in the clinical and surgical wards of the hospital was rated as “best imaginable”.