Nurses' perceptions and attitudes towards computerisation in a private hospital

Aims. To explore nurses attitudes and level of satisfaction in using the Hospital Information System in clinical practice. Background. Application of the Hospital Information System is increasing and there is substantial evidence suggesting that the successful implementation of Hospital Information System is significantly related to nurses attitudes. However, little information is currently available on the factors influencing those attitudes and their level of satisfaction in Hospital Information System use. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Methods. A stratified, random sampling of 342 nurses working in a Hong Kong private hospital and using Hospital Information System was recruited. A questionnaire was used to collect data on perceptions, level of satisfaction and attitudes towards Hospital Information System usage. Correlations and linear regressions were used to analyse the data. Results. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that work units, perceived usefulness and information technology support are the three predictors of nurses attitudes and level of satisfaction with the system. In addition, nurses who have higher perceived ease of use and better satisfaction towards using the system are associated with positive attitude. Conclusion. The study results serve to guide the nurse managers to develop information systems based on the nurses needs. Previous studies regarded nurses level of satisfaction as a part of nurses attitude. What is of interest in this study is that nurses satisfaction level can be viewed as an individual factor affecting nurses attitudes. With a user-friendly system, nurses tend to be more satisfied and therefore potentially more engaged in its use. This may indirectly improve patient care by saving time on documentation and enhancing communication among departments. Relevance to clinical practice. The nurse managers should promote an institutional culture to motivate staff towards positive acceptance of innovation. An effective collaboration with the information technology team would enhance a more efficient exchange of information to understand the complex factors of IT implementation.