Usability assessment in the adaptation phase of the Electronic Health Record

ABSTRACT

Usability of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in the adaptation phase is a primary focus of hospitals seeking to improve the ability of their staff to document patient care and condition. Most research has been focused on the implementation phase but as many health-care systems are now in the adaptation phase this research addresses this gap. This case study utilizes a mixed methods approach to analyze survey data, collected within a large academic healthcare system regarding the use and usability of the EHR and analyzes the associated text responses for reoccurring themes. The primary respondents were nurses, the largest group of her users. Results indicate that changes made to the EHR should decrease the effort required for documentation, reduce redundancy of charting, reduce the amount of data on flowsheets, address communication strategies and streamline documentation to improve the usability of the EHR. When changes are made, implemented, and utilized the EHR continues to be shaped by hospital staff who design their workflow around it. This case study finds that changes made to the EHR should decrease the effort required for documentation, reduce the redundancy of charting, reduce the amount of data on flowsheets, and thus, streamline documentation. This case study provides suggestions and validations for hospital systems as they seek to modify their EHRs to improve employee satisfaction and EHR usability, ultimately improving patient safety and outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• adaptation
• electronic health record
• hospital
• usability
• documentation

Acknowledgments

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zachary Davis

Zachary Davis is an assistant professor of Decision Sciences and Information Management in Davis College of Business, Jacksonville university. He received a PhD in Business Information Technology from Virginia Tech in 2018.

Heather Davis

Heather Davis, RN is a registered nurse with experience in nursing education and home health care and a retired nursing professor. She received a MS in Nursing education in 2012 from University of Central Florida.