The impact of electronic patient records on workflow in general practice

The Patient Access to Electronic Healthcare Records System (PAERS) allows patients to register their arrival at a GP's surgery and to view their healthcare record electronically whilst in the waiting area. The research reported in this short article was carried out to identify potential changes in clinical and administrative workflow resulting from the introduction of the system. The study considers workflow pre and post the implementation of PAERS. It also makes comparisons between two UK London-based surgeries, one with PAERS (Wells Park Practice) and one without such a system (South Lewisham Group Practice). The impact of PAERS on workflow and the potential benefits for GPs, administrative staff and patients are highlighted.