Key success factors behind electronic medical record adoption in Thailand

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the elements that health care personnel in Thailand believe are necessary for successful adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) systems. Design/methodology/approach Initial qualitative in-depth interviews with physicians to adapt key elements from the literature to the Thai context. The 12 elements identified included things related to managing the implementation and to IT expertise. The nationwide survey was supported by the Ministry of Public Health and returned 1,069 usable questionnaires (response rate 42 percent) from a range of medical personnel. Findings The key elements clearly separated into a managerial dimension and an IT dimension. All were considered fairly important, but managerial expertise was more critical. In particular, there should be clear EMR project goals and scope, adequate budget allocation, clinical staff must be involved in implementation, and the IT should facilitate good electronic communication. Research limitations/implications Thailand is representative of middle-income developing countries, but there is no guarantee findings can be generalized. National policies differ, as do economic structures of health care industries. The focus is on management at the organizational level, but future research must also examine macro-level issues, as well as gain more depth into thinking of individual health care personnel. Practical implications Technical issues of EMR implementation are certainly important. However, it is clear actual adoption and use of the system also depends very heavily on managerial issues. Originality/value Most research on EMR implementation has been in developed countries, and has often focussed more on technical issues rather than examining managerial issues closely. Health IT is also critical in developing economies, and management of health IT implementation must be well understood.

Physicians’ Attitude towards Electronic Medical Record Systems: An Input for Future Implementers

“…Good understanding of user's attitude about the system was found the key factor needed to make EMR systems adopt easily. Studies identified that even good technology could be fallen if the intended users have not a positive attitude towards the system [ 17 ]. According to some studies [ 7 ], the slow rate of EMR implementation suggests that resistance among physicians was strong because Physicians are the main frontline user-group of EMRs.…”

Development of a patient satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ) for diabetes management in Thailand and Lao PDR

“…In Lao PDR, there was a health screening project under the Thai Lao collaboration [ 30 ] but there were no routine services provided for Lao people. Another explanation of differences may be that the electronic health information system to support medical services in Lao PDR is still faced with difficulties [ 31 ], while Thailand has a successfully implemented electronic medical database [ 32 ]. With the limited national health insurance coverage in Lao PDR [ 6 ], most Lao diabetes patients pay out-of-pocket for the services and medications [ 7 ], while diabetes patients in Thailand do not pay for their services and medication which is covered by national health insurance.…”

Penerapan Electronic Medical Record di Rumah Sakit: Sebuah Model Untuk Memahami Penerimaan Dokter Atas Teknologi Baru

“…Dukungan IT yang cepat penting untuk menangkap tentang masalah yang diindentifikasi dan mampu menanggapinya dan memperbaiki dengan cepat. Persepsi dukungan manajemen mengacu pada sejauh mana pengguna percaya bahwa manajemen telah berkomitmen untuk keberhasilan penggunaan sistem, dan manajemen diharapkan terus berkonsultasi dengan dokter tentang proses adaptasi sistem baru (Narattharaksa et al, 2016;Sharma & Yetton, 2007). Menurut dokter spesialis pada penelitian ini, manajemen melakukan intervensi dengan menyediakan sumber daya seperti fasilitas pendukung sistem dan memberikan arahan secara langsung dalam menggunakan fitur EMR, hal ini senada yang disampaikan (Narattharaksa et al, 2016;Venkatesh & Bala, 2008).…”