Healthcare Workers' Perceptions of Information in the Electronic Health Record

Abstract

Electronic health record (EHR) systems and health information technology (IT) hold unrealized potential for improving the quality, continuity, and safety of medical care; they can also introduce new gaps in care and present unique challenges for healthcare workers. We conducted 14 key informant, semi-structured interviews at a large Veterans Affairs Medical Center and asked healthcare employees why paper use persists despite a fully implemented EHR. In this investigation, we performed a secondary analysis on interview data to identify characteristics of information technology (IT) that are important to support healthcare workflow. As a result of this study, 17 distinct information characteristics emerged; in this document, we provide detail on five characteristics that were often cited as desirable for workflow but insufficiently supported by health IT: 1) customizable, 2) prioritized, 3) trendable, 4) locatable, and 5) accessible. Results from this study reveal key electronic information characteristics for healthcare workflow and have implications for patient safety and future health IT designs.