User expectations and perceptions of a patient management information system

The use of computers in health care has become increasingly common. However, implemented systems at times have not met the expectations of the user group, resulting in disconfirmed expectations. This article takes a first tentative look at the notion of disconfirmed expectations and the possible impact disconfirmed expectations may have upon the perceptions of the system the user group may develop. Seventy-two pre-users and 30 users completed a questionnaire regarding their system expectations (pre-users) or system perceptions (user). Analysis examined occupation and use (pre-user/user) ratings. Results found vast differences in both use and occupation. When examining the observed differences in use (pre-user/user), a discriminant analysis identified nine factors that discriminated significantly between these groups, with 'user support' being the main factor. When examining the groups by occupation (clerical, nursing, other) it was found that differences were explained by how effective the system was at meeting their daily work requirement needs. These results are discussed in relation to system implementation strategies.