Changes in physicians' computer anxiety and attitudes related to clinical information system use

STUDY OVERVIEW: Interns' anxiety about computer use ("computer anxiety") and their attitudes toward medical computer applications were determined by a standardized questionnaire. Participants were surveyed before and after three months of differential exposure to three clinical information systems (CISs), including one with provider-entered encounters.

Fifty-one interns completed both surveys. Their average age was 27 years. Thirty-three percent were female, 7% were African American, and 8% were foreign graduates.

The most common previous exposures to computers were for literature searching and retrieval of patient information (both 92%). Factors that commonly emerged as predictive of anxiety about computer use included self-rated skills, typing ability, and computer attitudes. Factors predictive of attitudes toward computers included self-rated skills, typing ability, maximal frequency of prior computer use, computer ownership, and computer anxiety. Factors that were not predictive of computer anxiety or attitudes toward computers included age, gender, and physician input of data.

Identification of markers for negative psychological reactions to computer use may allow development of interventions to improve acceptance of computer base patient records (CBPRs).