JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Improving the health outcomes of populations of individuals through Population Health Management (PHM), requires the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) that can exchange real-time digital information using an accurate and complete shared care record that is accessible to healthcare providers, services, and patients.

Objective:

The aims of the study were to understand end-user’s (health care provider’s) experiences, attitudes and insights utilizing current Electronic Health Records, expectations of what is required to establish a shared care record, and how they anticipate adapting to the use of a shared care record in daily practice. This work is the result of a Quality Improvement initiative deemed not to require ethics approval according to Western’s Research Ethics Board checklist.

Methods:

Clinicians were contacted using voluntary response sampling and were interviewed via Zoom between June and July 2022. The participants came from various healthcare sectors and stages of career development.

Results:

Overall, adaptation to the use of a shared care record was viewed positively by healthcare providers, highlighting the benefits of a centralized, shared, and accessible location for real-time data, promoting patient continuity of care. The main concerns included the privacy, confidentiality and security of the record, along with patient’s ability to interpret their own medical information found in a patient portal. Resources requested by end users included multifaceted ongoing training on the use of a shared care record.

Conclusions:

This study provides practical findings that will help emphasize factors that facilitate clinicians’ practical use and process of adaptation to the use of a shared care record.