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Published on: February 19, 2021
Implementation of electronic medical records: theory-informed qualitative study
Michelle Greiver1, Jan Barnsley, Richard H Glazier
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. mgreiver@rogers.com
Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien
|October 15, 2011
Summary
Barriers like complexity and poor compatibility hindered electronic medical record (EMR) adoption by family physicians. Successful implementation requires addressing these factors and leveraging champions for innovation.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Information Systems Research
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are increasingly adopted in healthcare settings.
- Understanding factors influencing EMR implementation is crucial for successful adoption and improved patient care.
- The Diffusion of Innovations theory provides a framework for analyzing the adoption of new technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply the Diffusion of Innovations theory to identify factors influencing the implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) among family physicians.
- To explore the perceived barriers and facilitators of EMR adoption from the perspective of family physicians.
Main Methods:
- A qualitative study involving 2 focus groups with 12 community-based family physicians in Toronto, 18 months post-EMR implementation.
- Semistructured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and independently coded by two researchers.
- Findings were mapped to the Diffusion of Innovations theoretical framework.
Main Results:
- Key barriers to EMR implementation included lack of relative advantage, high system complexity, low compatibility with physician needs, adaptation challenges, and insufficient organizational slack.
- Facilitating factors for EMR implementation included the presence of a champion and perceived relative advantages for specific processes.
Conclusions:
- The early experience of EMR implementation aligns with Diffusion of Innovations theory concepts.
- Problematic implementation processes, characterized by identified barriers, may contribute to a lack of improvement in preventive services observed in concurrent quantitative data.
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