Perspectives of healthcare practitioners: An exploration of interprofessional communication using electronic medical records

Abstract

Contemporary state-of-the-art healthcare facilities are incorporating technology into their building design to improve communication and patient care. However, technological innovations may also have unintended consequences. This study seeks to better understand how technology influences interprofessional communication within a hospital setting based in the United States. Nine focus groups were conducted including a range of healthcare professions. The focus groups explored practitioners’ experiences working on two floors of a newly designed hospital and included questions about the ways in which technology shaped communication with other healthcare professionals. All focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and coded to identify themes. Participant responses focused on the electronic medical record and while some benefits of the electronic medical record were discussed, participants indicated use of the electronic medical record has resulted in a reduction of in-person communication. Different charting approaches resulted in barriers to communication between specialties and reduced confidence that other practitioners had received one’s notes. Limitations in technology - including limited computer availability, documentation complexity, and sluggish sign-in processes - also were identified as barriers to effective and timely communication between practitioners. Given the ways in which technology shapes interprofessional communication, future research should explore how to create standardized electronic medical record use across professions at the optimal level to support communication and patient care.

The role of ‘mediators’ of communication in health professionals' intersectoral collaboration: An ethnographically inspired study

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Are interprofessional healthcare teams meeting patient expectations? An exploration of the perceptions of patients and informal caregivers

“…In addition, practical factors, such as the geography of the workplace and work schedule, can impact the accessibility of team members, which can hinder the teamworking process (Delva, Jamieson, & Lemieux, 2008;S Reeves, Lewin, Espin, & Zwarenstein, 2010;Sargeant et al, 2008). As face-to-face communication is not always possible, there is then a greater need for effective communication using a range of processes to support information sharing and exchange within a team; central coordinators such as secretaries are seen as central to facilitating communication because they interacted with all team members (Aungst & Belliveau, 2015;Azar et al, 2017;Bardach, Real, & Bardach, 2017;Delva et al, 2008;Kuziemsky & Reeves, 2012;Szafran, Torti, Kennett, & Bell, 2018).…”

A comunicação na perspectiva dialógica da prática interprofissional colaborativa em saúde na Atenção Primária à Saúde

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“…Use of electronic medical records, identified in this study as a user-focused means of communication, was considered an indirect tool of information exchange among professionals. Despite being an important tool to safety when making decisions and to quicker responses to adverse events, its use can reduce face-to-face communication among professionals from the teams 19 .…”

“…Communication technologies are being increasingly used nowadays, and teamwork also follows this contemporary trend. Their use is justified by the easiness in transferring information 19 . However, their excessive and exclusive use can hinder and/or reduce interprofessional collaboration.…”