Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Health care professionals in the hospital and in the community are using electronic health records (EHRs) instead of paper files to manage patient information. Large quantities of health data exist in these EHRs that could be used to answer questions that may improve personal health, the health of populations, and the health system. This means that EHRs can be very useful in managing healthcare in Canada in the future. Thus, getting EHRs used across the country is one of the top health priorities in Canada today as this will benefit all Canadians, regardless of their age, their health status or where they live. Nurses are the largest group of health workers who use EHRs. However, there may be obstacles that prevent nurses from being able to use them optimally. If EHRs are not utilized to their full functionality, health care consumers and the Canadian health system will not see their full benefit. The goal of my research is to develop and test interventions that enhance optimal use of EHRs by nurses. My hypothesis is that understanding the obstacles that prevent nurses from optimally using an EHR, and testing realistic strategies to improve this use, will help health care providers and organizations realize the benefits of EHRs. I will accomplish this through surveying nurses who use the technology, as well as by running a series of focus groups to explore possible strategies for improved use. After this, I will pilot one key intervention identified by the nurse participants, and evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. Use of the EHR leads to better data, which ultimately leads to better outcomes for Canadians. My research will help health care organizations, government and industry as they work to increase the use of electronic health records, especially by nurses. Ultimately, this research will contribute to the improvement of our healthcare system in Canada and subsequently patient outcomes.