Use of the FallAkte Plus System as an IT Infrastructure for the North Rhine-Westphalian General Practice Research...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Primary Care Research
• Information Technology in Healthcare

Background:

• Primary care research networks generate vital patient data but need robust IT infrastructure (ITI).
• The North Rhine-Westphalian general practice research network seeks to implement a suitable ITI.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate user requirements for an ITI in primary care research.
• Assess the usability and acceptance of the FallAkte Plus (FA+) system among researchers, general practitioners, and practice assistants.

Main Methods:

• Study 1: Survey of researchers to identify ITI requirements.
• Study 2: Mixed-methods evaluation of the FA+ system using think-aloud and usability surveys.
• User groups included researchers, general practitioners, and practice assistants.

Main Results:

• Identified 32 user requirements for study management, data entry, storage, and access.
• FA+ system usability ratings varied significantly between researchers and practice personnel.
• Users appreciated data integration but rejected FA+ due to lack of support for diverse study formats and data security concerns.

Conclusions:

• The FA+ system, in its current state, does not meet the ITI requirements for primary care research networks.
• Improvements in UI, performance, interoperability, and security are essential.
• End-user collaboration is critical for developing effective research ITI.