Electronic health records (EHRs) have been implemented in many healthcare settings under the premise of increased productivity and improved patient interactions. However, severe unintended consequences from implementation and design of these systems have emerged. Poorly implemented EHR systems may endanger the integrity of clinical or administrative data. That, in turn, can lead to errors that may jeopardize patient safety or decrease quality of care. Therefore, analysis of the benefits and downfalls of the implementation of EHRs is paramount step to improving provider-patient interactions and overall public health. Prior review of the implementation of these record keeping systems has been primarily focused on the hospital setting. Given the variability and importance of non-hospital medical centers, assessing the impact of EHRs to local offices is of exceptional importance. This study aims to better assess the implementation of EHRs by electronic survey and group interviews of local medical centers in an effort to improve patient safety and EHR usability.

Learning Objective: Recognize the challenges that impact EHR useability with regard to provider efficiency (provider centric) and patient safety (patient centric).
Identify hindrances EHRs cause to local medical office useability as well as patient safety in these settings.
Understand some possible solutions to EHR health record implementation.

Authors:

Guenter Tusch, Grand Valley State University
Wanda Sankey (Presenter)
Grand Valley State University

Raymond Higbea, Grand Valley State University
Marie Vanderkooi, Grand Valley State University
Jamie Cole, Grand Valley State University
Lawrence Warkoczeski, Grand Valley State University

Presentation Materials:

• Abstract/Manuscript - 1