The introduction of electronic records into the community public health workforce

The UK government is committed to the introduction of electronic health records and has announced an intention for a 'paper-free' NHS by 2018. This has particular implications for the specialist community public health nurse (SCPHN) workforce, mainly due to staff members' general lack of experience with information technology (IT). There are further potential issues arising from the use of skill mix staff within teams and their role in record keeping and governance. This article advocates the use of practice teachers as change agents and educational theory to empower and support the workforce during the introduction of electronic records. Robust information governance and record-keeping policies are essential in driving the introduction of electronic records successfully. Clinical supervision is a suitable arena to support, and obtain feedback from the workforce before, during and after change, to ensure quality and governance are at the forefront of practice. To support a transition from paper to electronic health records, it is essential to view resistance as a predictable phenomenon and to learn from other areas that have already introduced electronic records successfully. It is recommended that the workforce's IT skills and learning styles are assessed before the development of training programmes for electronic records. This information can then be used to establish the appropriate educational approach.