Patient and Provider Satisfaction with EMR Systems for Medical Boats Serving Communities Along the Amazon River

Remote communities along the Amazon River face disparities in healthcare ranging from a lack of access to necessities to an inability to reach hospitals. To address this problem, organizations have developed medical boats with electronic medical records (EMR). This study analyzes patient and provider satisfaction with the EMR used in villages of the Peruvian Amazon. 88 patients were selected via convenience sampling and given patient satisfaction surveys after their appointment on the boat over three weeks. 17 providers were given written usability surveys after their respective times onboard. Patients and providers approve of using EMRs during their visit, encouraging the further development of these systems in remote communities. With more specialized EMRs built with the patient population in mind, better care can be provided to minimize disparities between remote populations and those of urban cities.