As a result of technological innovations in the past decades, many healthcare professionals are recognizing the need to improve the health information technology division of healthcare. According to Xierali et al. (14), the incorporation of information technology in medical records promotes the quality of care and efficiency of the workflow. Lee, Kuo, and Goodwin (1) indicate that Electronic Health Records (EHR’s) have enhanced the collection, storage, and reporting of information regarding patients. Moreover, the systems are useful in safeguarding policy compliance and decision-making within healthcare institutions. Past research studies have reported that EHR’s are efficient as they minimize errors during the entry of data in comparison to the conventional forms of record keeping. Although the use of EHR’s is projected to transform the health information management systems within hospitals, Jones and Furukawa (1254) state that they are characterized by low rates of adoption. Particularly, smaller healthcare facilities have failed to recognize the significance of these systems in the health sector. As a result, federal governments in the developed world are faced with challenges in solving the digital divide associated with EHR’s.
Additionally, Abramson et al. (1156) report that governments are increasing the amount of funding to promote the implementation and adaptation of EHR’s. Such interventions are beneficial as they ensure that the benefits of the systems are felt across the healthcare sector (Granlien and Hertzum 198). About Menachemi, Powers, and Brooks (184), another major barrier to the adoption of the systems is the characteristics of the healthcare providers. Specifically, the adoption and acceptance are dependent on the technological abilities, specialty, and age of the nurses and physicians.
According to King, Furukawa, and Buntin (2038), there is a need to ensure that the adoption of the EHR’s benefits all individuals across the population. The limitations concerning access to new technologies in some healthcare institutions hinder the adoption of the systems. Moreover, financial constraint is likely to affect the adoption of the system in such regions. Similarly, McAlearney et al. (463) note that the implementation phases of EHR’s are costly, and many facilities may require federal support. In research undertaken by these authors, the health professionals reported that they were worried about the transition from “old to new” recording systems (463). In this view, it is important to offer comprehensive training to healthcare providers on the importance of incorporating the systems in the workflow (King, et al., 2038). Furthermore, Ginn, Shen, and Moseley (338) report that the perceptions of the management may limit the adoption of the systems. Such perceptions are determined by the financial implications of EHR’s implementation. Thus, awareness campaigns by the ministry of health are crucial in educating the entire health sector on the importance of EHR’s. Angst and Agarwal (340) argue that issues relating to the privacy of the patient’s records have been identified as obstacles to the implementation of EHR’s. Therefore, ethical issues relating to privacy and confidentiality of the records should be incorporated into the training phases.
All the aforementioned barriers have slowed the implementation and adoption of Electronic Health Records systems throughout the healthcare sector. Therefore, policymakers and institutional management have a vital role to play in determining how the barriers can be eliminated. Furthermore, all the personnel in the health sector should cooperate in enhancing the adoption of EHR’s.
Works Cited
Abramson, Erika L, et al. “Electronic health record adoption and health information exchange among hospitals in New York State.” Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 18.7 (2012): 1156–1162. Print.
Angst, Corey M and Ritu Agarwal. “Adoption of electronic health records in the presence of privacy concerns: The elaboration likelihood model and individual persuasion.” MIS Quarterly 33.2 (2009): 339-370. Print.
Ginn, Gregory O, Jay J Shen and Charles B Moseley. “Hospital financial position and the adoption of electronic health records.” Journal of Healthcare Management 56.5 (2011): 337-350. Print.
Granlien, Maren Sander and Morten Hertzum. “Barriers to the adoption and use of an electronic medication record.” The Electronic Journal of Information Systems Evaluation 15.2 (2012): 197-227. Print.
Jones, Emily B and Michael F Furukawa. “Adoption and use of electronic health records among federally qualified health centers grew substantially during 2010-2012.” Health Affairs 33.7 (2014): 1254-1261.
King, Jennifer, Michael F Furukawa and Melinda B Buntin. “Geographic variation in ambulatory electronic health record adoption: Implications for underserved communities.” Health Services Research 48.6 (2013): 2037-2059. Print.
Lee, Jinhyung, Yong-Fang Kuo and James S Goodwin. “The effect of electronic medical record adoption on outcomes in US hospitals.” BMC Health Services Research 13.39 (2013): 1-7. Print.
McAlearney, Ann Scheck, et al. “The journey through grief: Insights from a qualitative study of electronic health record implementation.” Health Services Research 50.2 (2015): 462-488. Print.
Menachemi, Nir, Thomas L Powers and Robert G Brooks. “Physician and practice characteristics associated with longitudinal increases in electronic health records adoption.” Journal of Health Management 56.3 (2011): 183-197. Print.
Xierali, Imam M, et al. “The rise of electronic health record adoption among family physicians.” Annals of Family Medicine 11.1 (2013): 14-19. Print.