Too much information? The use of extraneous information to support decision‐making in emergency settings

Abstract Decision‐makers in emergency settings need to employ the breadth of evidence available so as inform critical judgments, yet acute time pressure suggests that some cases only partial information could be employed. Investigating this tension, current study focuses on usefulness extraneous arrives from outside organization and supplements is through local systems. Namely, we explore extent which use Health Information Exchanges (HIEs)—a network integrates patients’ clinical across medical organizations points care—facilitates diagnosis decisions hospitals’ departments (EDs). Adopting lens cognitive decision‐making theory, advance hypotheses regarding moderating effects tasks’ requirements (diagnosis complexity) clinicians’ availability (ED crowdedness) relation between (in form HIE data) decision quality revisit rate). Our empirical investigation employs complete field data collected a hospitals, capturing over half‐a‐million patient ED encounters. The results reveal that, general, improves quality, reflected reduced revisits ED. However, when complexity low, effect reversed, such associated with increased rates. discussion highlights conditions under contributes better calls for mindful interorganizational exchanges settings.