Patient and caregiver perceptions of electronic health records interoperability in the NHS and its impact on care quality: a focus group study

作者：Edmond Li, Olivia Lounsbury, Jonathan Clarke, Hutan Ashrafian, Ara Darzi, Ana Luísa Neves · 发表于：BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1186/s12911-024-02789-5 · 被引用次数：10 · 研究领域：Electronic Health Records Systems、Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education、Medical Coding and Health Information

BACKGROUND: The proliferation of electronic health records (EHR) in health systems of many high-income countries has ushered in profound changes to how clinical information is used, stored, and disseminated. For patients, being able to easily access and share their health information electronically through interoperable EHRs can often impact safety and their experience when seeking care across healthcare providers. While extensive research exists examining how EHRs affected workflow and technical challenges such as limited interoperability, much of it was done from the viewpoint of healthcare staff rather than from patients themselves. This leaves a critical knowledge gap in our evidence base to inform better implementation of health information technologies which needs addressing. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore how patients with chronic conditions or polypharmacy and their caregivers perceive the current state of EHR interoperability, identify instances where it was associated with negative health outcomes, and elucidate patient-driven recommendations to address concerns raised. METHODS: A total of 18 patients and caregivers participated in five online focus groups between May-July 2022. Thematic analysis was performed to generate codes and derive higher-order themes. RESULTS: Participants highlighted that EHR interoperability in the NHS does not meet patient needs and expectations. While patients' understanding of the concept of EHR interoperability was mi...