Implementing electronic patient record systems (EPRs) into England’s acute, mental health and community care trusts: a mixed methods study
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Our aim was to explore the approaches to and the challenges and benefits of implementing Electronic Patient Record systems (EPRs) into NHS acute, mental health and community care hospitals throughout England. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was adopted that comprised an online survey (n = 59) and semi-structured telephone interviews (n = 8) with chief information officers (or heads of EPR projects) at NHS trusts throughout England. Survey analysis was descriptive, whilst the qualitative interviews were analysed thematically. RESULTS: A range of devices and approaches to implementing EPRs were described with 32 % of survey respondents utilising a best of breed approach. Interviewees' perceived and expected benefits of implementing an EPR included efficiency, availability and accessibility of clinical information, and patient safety. Key challenges to EPR implementation were securing clinician involvement, difficulties posed by government and national policy and limited availability of financial and human resources. CONCLUSIONS: There was no single approach regarding the approaches taken to implementing EPRs among participating English NHS trusts, with various benefits and challenges cited. Policymakers and researchers need to provide clearer guidance for trusts at various stages of implementation ensuring intelligence is shared across England's NHS trusts.
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Evidence regarding the pros and cons of different approaches to implementing electronic records is limited.
“However, evidence regarding the pros and cons of different approaches to implementing electronic records is limited [39].”
From Exploring the implementation of an electronic record into a maternity unit: a qualitative study using Normalisation Process Theory (2017) · cites this paper as [39]
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- Authors
- Clarke, A., Adamson, J., Sheard, L., Cairns, P., Watt, I., & Wright, J.
- Affiliations
- University of York (GB)
- Bradford Royal Infirmary (GB)
- Venue
- BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
- Published
- 2015-10-14
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 85-85
- ISSN
- 1472-6947 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4607108
- OpenAlex
- W2166923565
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 4.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity) (cc-by)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (RP-PG-0108-10049)
- Medical Research Council (MR/K006665/1, MC_PC_13042)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Electronic Health Records Systems
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Issues, ethics and legal aspects › Nursing Diagnosis and Documentation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Medical Coding and Health Information
- Keywords
- electronic health records, NHS trusts, acute care, mental health services, community-based care, chief information officer, implementation barriers, implementation benefits, clinician engagement, health information policy, patient safety, implementation strategies
- MeSH terms
- England, Hospitals, Hospitals, Community, Hospitals, Psychiatric, Humans, National Health Programs, Electronic Health Records
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