Nurses` Perception Of Electronic Health Records (Ehr) Usability: A Pathway To Improved Patient Outcomes.

Abstract

Introduction

The fast digitization of health care through Electronic Health Records (EHR) is intended to improve administrative efficiency, patient safety, and documentation quality. Yet its successful implementation depends on the perception and technological readiness of the nurses who use this tool. This paper explores nurses' perceptions regarding the usability of EHR and the barriers to its use in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan.

Methodology

A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional research design was used, with a structured questionnaire adjusted to suit the Pakistani healthcare scenario. The study population consisted of 80 nurses chosen by simple random sampling. SPSS version 27 was used to analyze the data using descriptive statistics.

Results

The results showed a relatively younger (76.3% aged 24–29) and highly female-dominated (82.5%) population, with a moderate level of EHR acceptance (average score 32.5/60). Although 50% of the study subjects believed EHR increases patient satisfaction, only 38.8% were consistent users of the technology. Key barriers to implementation included the absence of proper EHR training (58.8% untrained), technical problems (37.5%), and a lack of leadership support (25%). Only 36.3% of nurses found electronic documentation easier than paper-based methods.

Conclusion

The study reveals that although nurses understand the positive impact of EHR on patient well-being, a considerable “usability gap” exists because of inherent shortcomings. To facilitate EHR adoption, organizations must make efforts toward providing proper training and technical support to nurses.