JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Clinical information in nursing is mainly nowadays transmitted using digital solutions such as computers and mobile devices. Different technological systems including electronic health records (EHR) and client information systems (CIS) can be integrated with mobile devices. Mobile device use is expected to increase because long-term care is more often provided in environments, such as at clients’ homes, where computers are rarely available. More user-centred data is needed to ensure mobile devices are effective tools in practical nurses’ daily activities.

Objective:

To analyze practical nurses’ experiences of EHR/CIS use on a mobile device in their daily practice, as well as to examine the factors associated with work time savings when using EHR/CIS on a mobile device.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study based on an electronic survey was conducted during the spring 2022. A total of 3,866 practical nurses responded to the survey. The sample was restricted to practical nurses who used EHR/CIS on a mobile device and who worked in home care or service housing (n=1,014). A logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated with work time savings.

Results:

More experienced EHR/CIS users were more likely to perceive work time savings compared to those with less experience (OR=1.59, 95% CI=1.30–1.94). Participants with work experience of 0–5 years were more likely to have work time savings compared to those who had worked 21 years or more (OR=2.41, 95% CI=1.43–4.07). Practical nurses in home care were more likely to experience work time savings compared to those who worked in service housing (OR=1.95, 95% CI=1.23–3.07). A lower grade given for EHR/CIS was associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing work time savings (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.66–0.89). Participants who documented client data in a public area were more likely to experience work time savings compared to those who did so in the (nurses’) office (OR=2.33, 95% CI=1.27–4.25). Practical nurses who reported that documentation of client data on a mobile device was easy (OR=3.05, 95% CI=2.14–4.34) and that documentation of client data on a mobile device reduced the need to memorize things (OR=4.10, 95% CI=2.80–6.00) were more likely to experience work time savings compared to others.

Conclusions:

To increase the proportion of those practical nurses who experience work time savings, we suggest that organizations should provide comprehensive orientation and regular education for those mobile device users who are less experienced of using EHR/CIS and do not find mobile devices as easy to use. User satisfaction is another issue that should be considered and therefore we recommend that end users should be involved more commonly in the development of EHR/CIS.