A Quantitative Enquiry into the Perceived Benefits, user Satisfaction and Challenges Associated with Electronic Health Records Systems

Background: Electronic Health Record System is considered the most important innovative application as part of the introduction of Information and Communication Technology in the healthcare industry. The EHR system is designed to alleviate the limitations associated with the paper-based record system and help to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery.

Aims: The study aimed at empirically examining the perceived benefits, user satisfaction and challenges of Electronic Health Records System as reported by end users at the Presbyterian Hospital in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono Region.

Methodology: This study adopted a cross-sectional quantitative approach with descriptive survey, design through well-structured questionnaires to collect primary data from a sample size of 80 respondents across various units in the hospital. Data collected were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0 (SPSS version 20.0) and results were presented in frequency tables, percentages, pie charts, bar charts, and text.

Results: Results showed that 51.3% were male whereas 48.7% were female with the majority in the age bracket of (20-29) and (30-39) years respectively. The majority, in general, indicated that there are benefits with the use of the EHR System as compared to the paper-based record-keeping system. The result indicated that overall, 70% were generally satisfied, 23% were very satisfied whilst 7% said they were somewhat dissatisfied with the use of the EHR System in the hospital. A major challenge identified by this study relates to the occurrence of network unavailability with the use of the EHR System.

Conclusion: The study showed that there were benefits associated with the use of EHR systems in the hospital and these benefits had collectively enhanced the overall quality of care in the hospital. The study recommends that management of the hospital evaluate the EHR System periodically to identify the lapses in the system and improve upon them. Also, capacity-building should be done for the staff by constantly retraining users so that majority can work with minimal challenges.