Satisfaction with the newly-implemented Electronic System for Integrated Health Information among Pediatricians at a University Hospital

Abstract

Background: Electronic Health Records (EHR) are becoming the standard of care in healthcare settings, with their great potentials to reduce operational costs, improve healthcare quality, and patient's safety. Various factors may influence physicians' satisfaction, and there is a need to address them according to healthcare workers' needs in Saudi Arabia.Objective: The objective of this study was to explore factors that may have influenced satisfaction with a newly-implemented EHR system (namely: eSiHi or Electronic System for Integrated Health Information) among Physicians in the Pediatric Department at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on the physicians of Pediatric Department, KSUMC, between July-August 2015, after two months of launching the EHR system (eSiHi).Results: A total of 150 physicians enrolled in the survey, only (120, 80%) responded to the survey in a timely manner. Tentative analysis of missing values, however, revealed that 112 surveys were complete and suitable for inclusion in the analysis. As such, response rate was 74.6%. 60% of the physicians were males and 40% were females. 27.6% of them were consultants, 43% specialists, followed by 28% who were residents. Almost half of the physicians had no previous experience with Electronic Medical Records (51.8%). 86.7% of the respondents have attended the workshops and the training courses before the implementation of the new EHR system. On average, they rated their satisfaction levels with the EHR (eSiHi) at 5.2 out of 10, and for the usefulness for the patient's care it was rated on average (6.4 out of 10). 82.2% of respondents believed that the EHR improves the Quality of care and reduces errors and 73% of the respondents agreed that EHR's Improve the quality of the clinical practice environment. 55.8% indicated that EHR increased the practice productivity. Conclusions:There is a global and national transition toward an EHR system in the hospitals and the physicians have the willing to support this transition and they appreciate the potential benefits of this system over the paper-based system. In order to increase the like hood of a successful transition, an ongoing technical support must be considered.