Terminology (Clinical Science User Guide)

Table 1. Terms used in Clinical Science
Term	Meaning
Actual workload	This is the cumulative workload that is scored for the day part from the documentation performed on the eHR and sent to Clinical Science.
Adjustment factors	These adjustments account for unexpected occurrences during a day part that take time away from patient care. They are unpredictable but infrequent enough that they do not require a specific intervention. Some examples Dropping a medication when attempting to administer it and having to take time to restock. A patient's response to care, for example, an allergic reaction. Replacing broken equipment. Reinserting a tube pulled out by a patient.
Assignment	A primary employee plus the assigned patient or patients is called an assignment.
Assignment panel	This is the portion of the Patient Assignment screen where patient assignments to employees are made.
Assignment Parameters	Unit, Date and Day Part display at the top of the assignment panel. Defaults for these parameters are the logged-in employee's Unit, the current date and the current day part. When making assignments, if you are required to change these parameters, you can scroll, filter or perform a search.
Alert	A patient alert is assigned to a patient record when a patient has a special requirement, for example, a falls prevention protocol.
Day Part	A Clinical Science term for a part of a 24-hour day that is closely related to a shift.
Fatigue and delay factor	These are such things as the distance of a patient's bed from the nurse's station that can increase a nurse's workload.
HPPD	Hours Per Patient Day, an industry-standard workload calculation in the healthcare space.
Intervention	An intervention is a care activity that is performed on a patient. Some examples are: Taking vital signs Administering pain medications Performing wound care
KPI	The acronym KPI, for Key Performance Indicators, appears on the Patient Assignment screen. This is a general business term that has a specific meaning in Clinical Science. More information about the data on this tab is in another section. KPI tab
Patient care types	Patient care types categorize patients using a status identifier that is based on the type of expected required care. Examples include Inpatient Oncology, Outpatient Surgery and Emergency Radiology.
Patient care type categories	Patient care type categories group the patient care types into broader classifications. Examples include Inpatient, Outpatient, Observation and Emergency.
Patient care services	These are the services within the hospital that are providing the patient's care. Examples include Burn Unit, Cardiology and General Surgery.
Predictive workload	A predictive workload is assigned to the patient at the start of the day part to assist the charge nurse in making assignments. If this is the patient's first time on the unit for the day part, they are assigned the average unit workload from the same day part of the previous day. If the patient was on the unit the previous day during the same day part, they are assigned their workload from the previous day.
Primary employee	A licensed employee, typically an RN, who has primary responsibility for an assignment (a patient or a group of patients). A primary employee can have only one assignment.
Role List	If roles have been configured, the Role List displays employees who are working on the unit and are not included in patient assignments. These employees perform a configured task or a special function on the unit.
Secondary employee	A licensed employee who is providing additional care to a patient or an assignment. A secondary employee can be assigned to multiple assignments.
Support employee	An employee who is providing additional care to a patient or an assignment. A support employee can be assigned to multiple assignments.
Unit indirect workloads	Indirect workload quantifies the activities performed in support of patient care that do not involve the patient directly. Many indirect activities are controlled by department and hospital policy and may be specific to the unit rather than to the patient.

Actual workload

This is the cumulative workload that is scored for the day part from the documentation performed on the eHR and sent to Clinical Science.

Adjustment factors

These adjustments account for unexpected occurrences during a day part that take time away from patient care. They are unpredictable but infrequent enough that they do not require a specific intervention. Some examples

Dropping a medication when attempting to administer it and having to take time to restock.
A patient's response to care, for example, an allergic reaction.
Replacing broken equipment.
Reinserting a tube pulled out by a patient.

Assignment

A primary employee plus the assigned patient or patients is called an assignment.

Assignment panel

This is the portion of the Patient Assignment screen where patient assignments to employees are made.

Assignment Parameters

Unit, Date and Day Part display at the top of the assignment panel. Defaults for these parameters are the logged-in employee's Unit, the current date and the current day part. When making assignments, if you are required to change these parameters, you can scroll, filter or perform a search.

Alert

A patient alert is assigned to a patient record when a patient has a special requirement, for example, a falls prevention protocol.

Day Part

A Clinical Science term for a part of a 24-hour day that is closely related to a shift.

Fatigue and delay factor

These are such things as the distance of a patient's bed from the nurse's station that can increase a nurse's workload.

HPPD

Hours Per Patient Day, an industry-standard workload calculation in the healthcare space.

Intervention

An intervention is a care activity that is performed on a patient. Some examples are:

Taking vital signs
Administering pain medications
Performing wound care

KPI

The acronym KPI, for Key Performance Indicators, appears on the Patient Assignment screen. This is a general business term that has a specific meaning in Clinical Science. More information about the data on this tab is in another section. KPI tab

Patient care types

Patient care types categorize patients using a status identifier that is based on the type of expected required care. Examples include Inpatient Oncology, Outpatient Surgery and Emergency Radiology.

Patient care type categories

Patient care type categories group the patient care types into broader classifications. Examples include Inpatient, Outpatient, Observation and Emergency.

Patient care services

These are the services within the hospital that are providing the patient's care. Examples include Burn Unit, Cardiology and General Surgery.

Predictive workload

A predictive workload is assigned to the patient at the start of the day part to assist the charge nurse in making assignments.

If this is the patient's first time on the unit for the day part, they are assigned the average unit workload from the same day part of the previous day. If the patient was on the unit the previous day during the same day part, they are assigned their workload from the previous day.

Primary employee

A licensed employee, typically an RN, who has primary responsibility for an assignment (a patient or a group of patients). A primary employee can have only one assignment.

Role List

If roles have been configured, the Role List displays employees who are working on the unit and are not included in patient assignments. These employees perform a configured task or a special function on the unit.

Secondary employee

A licensed employee who is providing additional care to a patient or an assignment. A secondary employee can be assigned to multiple assignments.

Support employee

An employee who is providing additional care to a patient or an assignment. A support employee can be assigned to multiple assignments.

Unit indirect workloads

Indirect workload quantifies the activities performed in support of patient care that do not involve the patient directly. Many indirect activities are controlled by department and hospital policy and may be specific to the unit rather than to the patient.