‘I can tell you right now, EHR does not improve communication. It does not improve healthcare’: understanding how providers make sense of advanced information technology workarounds

ABSTRACT

This study draws upon sensemaking theory to (a) explore the cues healthcare providers extract from their workplace environment to make sense of their advanced information technology (AIT) workarounds and (b) offer an AIT workaround sensemaking model for future research. A thematic analysis was conducted using interview data from 27 (N = 27) physicians and nurses in one hospital organization. In addition to understanding how AIT-use issues are bracketed and labeled, this study demonstrates the important role workplace communication factors play in providers’ retrospective AIT workaround sensemaking. Providers frequently made sense of their AIT workarounds by claiming AIT use (a) negatively impacts organizational communication and (b) constrains verbal and nonverbal immediacy with patients – both of which conflicted with their acquired mental models for patient care. Theoretical and practical implications for healthcare leaders are offered in addition to future directions.

KEYWORDS:

• Advanced information technology
• electronic health records
• sensemaking
• technology workarounds
• technology adaptation
• organizational communication
• communication immediacy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).