Disturbing or facilitating?--on the Usability of Swedish eHealth Systems 2013

As many evaluations show, healthcare organizations do not accomplish the intended effects of their eHealth systems due to inadequate usability. On behalf of the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the usability of current eHealth systems in Swedish healthcare have been analysed from the perspective of healthcare and social service professionals. The objective of the study was to report on current problems, potential solutions as well as to relate these to research in relevant areas. Using a participatory approach, seven workshops were held where researchers within health informatics collaborated with staff from different care providers, representatives of the national associations of health and social care professionals and the national eHealth system vendor organization. This paper presents a foundation for further development of eHealth systems, condensed into 10 issues that the Swedish health and social care professionals find imperative to improve. The study emphasizes that the development of eHealth systems is always a matter of organizational and process development and must be integrated into the care practice improvement process. Further, based on the findings, some identified challenges are discussed.