Unfolding and Addressing the Issues of Electronic Medical Record Implementation

Abstract

The social influence and competitive pressure for health technology adoption has increased among developed, developing, and emerging countries. The present study aimed to uncover and address the issues of electronic medical record (EMR) implementation in public sector hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It used the social constructivism approach to understand employee attitudes, behaviors, and motivations within the local culture, structure, political forces of the KSA. Data was gathered from 40 participants. These individuals and institutional factors influence the EMR adoption and implementation efforts in public sector hospitals in the KSA. Key EMR implementation issues identified included limited IT skills, low professional qualifications, work-overload, and lack of sufficient planning for the integration of EMR with other systems. The study used a mixture of three theories, institutional, Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), and ability, motivation, and opportunity (AMO), to understand the role of these factors and to propose strategies able to increase the rate of successful EMR implementations in public hospitals in the KSA.