Assessment of factors influencing nurses acceptance of electronic medical record in a Saudi Arabia hospital

Abstract

Background: We aimed to explore the acceptance level of electronic medical records (EMR) by the nursing staff and understand their perspective on it. Methods: The target population included all nurses working in Imam Abdulrahman Al Faisal Hospital at the National Guards Health Affairs (NGHA), Dammam, Saudi Arabia using EMR in their clinical practice. A questionnaire was developed to determine the respondent's opinion for achieving the study objectives. A total of 230 questionnaires were distributed and 153 questionnaires were completed and returned with 66.5% response rate. Results: The findings state that there is a strong positive correlation between perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use resulting in a positive effect on nurses’ acceptance. The nurses in National Guards Health Affairs (NGHA) are willing to use EMR to improve the quality of patient care. Therefore, their willingness to learn the system and be less resistant to change will be possible by introducing a more user-friendly system, which will ultimately increase their level of acceptance. Conclusions: User demographic characteristics, top management and IT support and system quality are important in predicting nursing personnel's acceptance toward EMR. These findings can be used as guidance for hospital management to address the nurses’ concerns.