GP preferences for information systems: conjoint analysis of speed, reliability, access and users

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• General Practice

Background:

• Designing effective health information systems (HIS) is crucial for modern healthcare delivery.
• Understanding user preferences is key to successful HIS implementation and adoption.
• UK general practitioners' (GPs) perspectives on HIS features are vital for future system development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the preferences and trade-offs UK GPs have regarding critical HIS features.
• To provide evidence to guide the future design and development of HIS.

Main Methods:

• A stated choice study design was employed to assess implicit preferences.
• Participants made binary choices between presented HIS scenarios.
• 303 UK GPs from the Medix network participated via email.

Main Results:

• GPs value system response speed the most.
• They are willing to wait 28 seconds for a 95% to 99% reliability increase, and 2 seconds more for 99.9% reliability.
• GPs would wait 27 seconds for anywhere access versus single-site access, but require 14 seconds faster response if social care staff can view patient data.

Conclusions:

• System speed, reliability, access location, and data accessibility by different staff groups are key HIS characteristics valued by GPs.
• Designers of large-scale HIS should prioritize these identified features based on user preferences.
• This study offers valuable insights for optimizing HIS design in primary care settings.