The effect of electronic health records on patient safety: A qualitative exploratory study

Background: Electronic health records (EHRs) are increasingly used in healthcare settings and it is believed that they have brought benefits to patients and healthcare services alike. Few previous studies, however, have explored the impact of these records on patient safety. Aim: The overall purpose of this study was to explore the effect of EHRs on patient safety, as perceived by nurses. Methods: This qualitative exploratory study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with staff nurses working in hospitals that employed the same EHR system in Jordan. Seventeen nurses were interviewed working in various units and wards of ten hospitals which had used EHRs between 1 and 5 years. Field notes were taken during interviews and analyzed thematically. Results: Two major themes emerged from the data. One regarded the enhancements that EHRs have made to patient safety; and the other surrounded concerns raised by the use of these systems. Under each main theme there were four subthemes. EHRs directly or indirectly improved patient safety by minimizing medication errors, improving documentation of data, enhancing the completeness of data, and improving the sustainability of data. The interviewees expressed concern that the following may jeopardize patient safety: data entry errors, technical problems, minimal clinical alerts, and poor use of system communication channels. Conclusion: A range of opinions were reported by the interviewees, from being fully supportive of EHRs to being reluctant to agree with the idea that they can improve patient safety. However, the concerns raised by the interviewees might be associated with poor system design or improper human use of the system. Thus, it is necessary to design systems with specifications that support patient safety and, moreover, involving nurses in this process might facilitate this outcome.