Abstract:
American hospitals are being compelled to implement a health information infrastructure
that connects health care providers to consumers. The Nationwide Health Information Network
(N.I.H.N.) has been developed in an effort to achieve this goal (Health Information Technology,
n.d.). One of the main goals of this program is to increase efficiency while at the same time
improve health care quality. Nurses have an important impact on data that are entered into the
patient’s electronic medical record (EMR) in all healthcare settings. It is important to evaluate
nurses’ perception of the use of EMR in order to increase acceptance of this new information
technology. The purpose of this study is to evaluate nurses: a) preferences for electronic
documentation of clinical data, and b) perception of problems or barriers with EMR. A replication
study of Moody, Slocumb, Berg and Jackson’s 2004 study will be conducted with a convenience
sample of 200 emergency department registered nurses from a multihospital system in Southwest
Ohio. A questionnaire collecting data regarding demographics, EMR documentation preferences,
and perceived functionality and barriers to use will be utilized. The findings will further identify
nurses’ preferences regarding EMR and be used to develop a strategy to decrease
problems/barriers of acceptance.
