The work environment at a hospital helps shape how nurses evaluate EHR usability as well as whether EHRs can achieve the intended aim of their implementation — improving quality and patient safety, according to a study published in Applied Clinical Informatics.
Researchers from Philadelphia-based Penn Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes & Policy Research conducted a secondary analysis of nurse and hospital survey data. The survey data included responses from 12,377 nurses in 353 hospitals.
The study shows 25 percent of nurses reported dissatisfaction with their current EHRs. More than 50 percent reported that EHRs interfered with patient care, while nearly one-third said that the systems did not help them work efficiently.
Additionally, 40 percent of nurses working in poor hospital work environments reported dissatisfaction with the EHR, as compared to less than 20 percent of those who worked in hospitals with better work environments. Neary 50 percent nurses working in poor environments said the system did not facilitate work efficiency, versus one-quarter of nurses in better work environments.