A formative and summative evaluation of an electronic health record in community nursing

Implementation of an electronic health record (EHR) system is generally believed to improve the quality of patient care. However due to the variability of systems and users, there is little agreement on successful implementation. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the implementation of a BlackBerry hosted application enabling wireless documentation and access to electronic decision support resources in one home care agency in Ontario. Through mixed-methods including surveys, corporate data collection and interviews, this study investigates nurses' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to adoption of the electronic clinical information system. Early results highlight usability, organizational culture, evidence-based practice, and factors influencing nurses' adaptation of this electronic clinical information system.