An Vanthienen - The (mis)match between electronic health records and actual nursing work

Electronic health records are widely used as a data source for process mining studies in healthcare to represent clinical work. But how well do these digital traces actually capture what happens on the ward?

In this talk, I present the findings from an observational study that examines how nursing interventions performed on hospital wards correspond to their registration in electronic health record systems. Rather than focusing only on data quality metrics, the talk argues for a closer look at work practices, documentation routines, and the assumptions we make when analysing electronic health record data. The talk will highlight why understanding real world work practices is essential for interpreting electronic health record data correctly, and how combining observational insights with data analysis might help anticipate and mitigate data quality issues before they affect research outcomes.

An Vanthienen is a PhD student in the BINF research group at UHasselt. Her research focuses on the application of process mining techniques in healthcare, with particular attention to the organization of nursing work at the hospital ward level. She holds a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences and a master’s degree in healthcare engineering. Her broader research interests center on understanding how healthcare systems are organized and operate, and on developing data driven approaches that support a more sustainable future for healthcare.