CAH staff perceptions of a clinical information system implementation.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Healthcare Management
• Information Systems in Healthcare

Background:

• Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) face unique challenges in adopting advanced healthcare technologies.
• Clinical Information Systems (CIS) are increasingly implemented to improve patient care quality and operational efficiency.
• Understanding staff perceptions is crucial for successful technology integration in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate staff perceptions of patient care quality and processes before and after CIS implementation in CAHs.
• To identify differences in perceptions among various staff roles (registered nurses, providers, other clinical staff).

Main Methods:

• A prospective, nonexperimental evaluation study design.
• Utilized a modified Information Systems Expectations and Experiences (I-SEE) survey.
• Administered surveys annually over 3 years to staff in 7 CAHs, capturing baseline and postimplementation data.

Main Results:

• High overall positive perceptions of care quality and processes were reported across 840 survey responses.
• Significant improvements noted in information flow and communication post-CIS implementation.
• Providers reported lower mean perceptions compared to registered nurses and other clinical staff.

Conclusions:

• Staff generally viewed CIS implementation positively, with notable gains in communication.
• Discrepancies in perceptions exist between providers and other clinical staff, warranting further investigation.
• Further research on CIS in small hospitals is essential to identify success factors.