User-friendliness of computerized information systems

Despite the plethora of research on nurses and the use of computers and information systems, there have been few attempts to examine the everyday experiences of nurses who use such systems in practice. This qualitative study builds on our limited understanding of practitioners' experiences regarding use of Computerized Patient Information Systems (CPIS). Focus group interviews wer held across Australia with practitioners from a wide range of clinical settings and specialties. The study findings suggest that participants were predominantly critical of systems in almost every area related to "user-friendliness." The perspectives and views of practitioners are important to understand if future generations of CPIS hardware and software are to be developed with a greater appreciation of the needs of the system's front-line users.