Emergency Department CPG Use

Clinicians in emergency settings were more likely to use CPGs at least weekly (69.7%) than those in non-emergency settings (58.2%). Emergency clinicians reason from presenting complaints rather than confirmed diagnoses, and premature diagnostic closure is a recognised source of clinical error. Some guidelines were described as too wordy and difficult to navigate on mobile devices during acute situations, with time-critical actions buried in surrounding detail. PIC CPGs were perceived as less practical in their current format for time-pressured environments such as emergency departments. Emergency setting clinicians relied especially heavily on shared devices to access CPGs (80.1% vs. 57.4% in non-emergency settings).