The Impact of Digital Health Technologies on the Workflow of Nursing, Technicians, and Medical Social Workers in Critical Care and Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: The advent of digital health technologies (DHTs)-such as EHRs, CDSs, telehealth, POC devices, and AI-powered monitoring-has profoundly impacted care in critical care units (CCUs), emergency departments (EDs), and family practices. However, with these tools so common, we have not yet gained a complete understanding of the impact they have on the workflow of nurses, technicians, and medical social workers in these areas. Objectives: To systematically review the published literature (2020–2026) on the effect of DHTs on workflow efficiency, task distribution, communication, documentation, job satisfaction, and patient outcomes in critical and emergency settings in nursing, technical, and social work personnel. Methods :PRISMA 2020 was used to guide a systematic review. Six databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched from January 2020 to March 2026. To be included in the review, the study must have contained quantitative or mixed-methods data regarding DHT effects on at least one of the mentioned health professions in a CCU, ED, or family medicine practice. All included studies were rated using MMAT and NOS criteria, and 10 studies were included in the analysis. Results: Of the 10 included studies (total of 4,287 participants across 14 countries), most provided positive feedback on the impact of DHTs on workflow. When EHRs were utilized, documentation time was reduced by an average of 23.4% and handoff quality improved (SMD = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.41–0.95) for nurses with digital documentation. AI-powered triage in the ED was found to shorten wait times by up to 31%. For technicians, remote patient monitoring decreased task reassignment incidents by 18.7%, and for social workers, it provided increased role clarity with integrated case management software. Negative impacts of DHTs included alert fatigue (found in 60% of nursing studies), difficult learning curves, and inequitable usage due to differences in digital literacy. Conclusions: DHTs are shown to provide concrete benefits for workflow in critical care and emergency medicine settings, but their effectiveness is determined by implementation practices that emphasize the needs of staff, adequate training, and iterative refinement of system functionality. Further research is required to employ longitudinal study designs and stratified reporting by profession.