STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS- A SINGLE CASE STUDY

Abstract

Electronic health records are a healthcare quality improvement strategy. Healthcare organizations in middle-income countries face significant challenges in adopting and implementing electronic health records. In Jordan, implementation challenges delayed achieving the objective of a national initiative titled Hakeem. The initiative’s objective was to implement the Hakeem electronic health record system in all healthcare sectors by 2020. Lack of clear implementation guidelines may have hindered some healthcare organizations’ efforts to adopt and use the system in Jordan. A successful pioneering implementer of the Hakeem system in Jordan is the King Hussein Cancer Center, which fully used it in all departments. This study used a single case study design to explore and codify the center’s strategies for system implementation. Data sources included a review of organizational documents related to the Hakeem system implementation at the center and individual interviews with six healthcare leaders involved in the implementation process. Thematic data analysis included manual analysis and verification using NVivo 12, QRS International software. The emerging themes included (1) phased approach and continuous planning, (2) stakeholders’ active involvement, (3) collaboration with the vendor, (4) training and continuous support, (5) managing resistance, and (6) recommendations for other organizations. The findings of this study may lay the foundation to lead healthcare organizations into successful implementation and effective use of electronic health records.