Impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large Canadian community hospital: a qualitative study

Objective This study aimed to describe how healthcare providers perceived the impacts of implementing and using an electronic health record (EHR) on quality, safety and person-centredness of care.Design A qualitative descriptive design using semistructured interviews.Setting In October 2020, a large...

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Main Authors: Walter P Wodchis, Shelley Vanderhout, Kerry Kuluski, Terence Tang, Lucas Seuren, Jason X Nie, Elizabeth Mansfield, Shipra Taneja, Christine L Heidebrecht, Rujuta Giri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-04-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/4/e097646.full
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author Walter P Wodchis
Shelley Vanderhout
Kerry Kuluski
Terence Tang
Lucas Seuren
Jason X Nie
Elizabeth Mansfield
Shipra Taneja
Christine L Heidebrecht
Rujuta Giri
author_facet Walter P Wodchis
Shelley Vanderhout
Kerry Kuluski
Terence Tang
Lucas Seuren
Jason X Nie
Elizabeth Mansfield
Shipra Taneja
Christine L Heidebrecht
Rujuta Giri
author_sort Walter P Wodchis
collection DOAJ
description Objective This study aimed to describe how healthcare providers perceived the impacts of implementing and using an electronic health record (EHR) on quality, safety and person-centredness of care.Design A qualitative descriptive design using semistructured interviews.Setting In October 2020, a large Canadian community hospital implemented a new EHR system (Epic) across three sites, transitioning from a previously fragmented (combination of paper-based and electronic) system.Participants Sixty-two healthcare providers and clinical leaders.Results Participants shared their experiences regarding the impact of EHR implementation on quality of care, which were analysed into common themes including task efficiency, information management, patient interactions and patient safety. While the system significantly altered their routines and introduced new responsibilities like additional documentation requirements, it also facilitated adherence to clinical guidelines, improved information visibility and enhanced documentation, benefiting overall quality of care and patient safety. Participants reported that EHR implementation led to increased efficiency, freeing up time for patient care and improving communication with patients and other providers.Conclusion EHRs have the potential to improve quality of care and patient safety, but this depends on their perceived value and how well healthcare providers can integrate their various features into clinical routines.
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spelling doaj-art-277cd5c3dba74c94bf000de3fabd0b4c2025-08-20T02:27:28ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-04-0115410.1136/bmjopen-2024-097646Impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large Canadian community hospital: a qualitative studyWalter P Wodchis0Shelley Vanderhout1Kerry Kuluski2Terence Tang3Lucas Seuren4Jason X Nie5Elizabeth Mansfield6Shipra Taneja7Christine L Heidebrecht8Rujuta Giri9Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaInstitute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaObjective This study aimed to describe how healthcare providers perceived the impacts of implementing and using an electronic health record (EHR) on quality, safety and person-centredness of care.Design A qualitative descriptive design using semistructured interviews.Setting In October 2020, a large Canadian community hospital implemented a new EHR system (Epic) across three sites, transitioning from a previously fragmented (combination of paper-based and electronic) system.Participants Sixty-two healthcare providers and clinical leaders.Results Participants shared their experiences regarding the impact of EHR implementation on quality of care, which were analysed into common themes including task efficiency, information management, patient interactions and patient safety. While the system significantly altered their routines and introduced new responsibilities like additional documentation requirements, it also facilitated adherence to clinical guidelines, improved information visibility and enhanced documentation, benefiting overall quality of care and patient safety. Participants reported that EHR implementation led to increased efficiency, freeing up time for patient care and improving communication with patients and other providers.Conclusion EHRs have the potential to improve quality of care and patient safety, but this depends on their perceived value and how well healthcare providers can integrate their various features into clinical routines.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/4/e097646.full
spellingShingle Walter P Wodchis
Shelley Vanderhout
Kerry Kuluski
Terence Tang
Lucas Seuren
Jason X Nie
Elizabeth Mansfield
Shipra Taneja
Christine L Heidebrecht
Rujuta Giri
Impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large Canadian community hospital: a qualitative study
BMJ Open
title Impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large Canadian community hospital: a qualitative study
title_full Impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large Canadian community hospital: a qualitative study
title_fullStr Impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large Canadian community hospital: a qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed Impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large Canadian community hospital: a qualitative study
title_short Impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large Canadian community hospital: a qualitative study
title_sort impacts on quality of care following electronic health record implementation within a large canadian community hospital a qualitative study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/4/e097646.full
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