Meaningful electronic medical record use : a survey of famly practice clinics

Abstract

This thesis explores the factors related to increased meaningful use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) in family physician clinics in Alberta, Canada. Measurements were made using the Innovation Implementation scale (Klein & Sorra, 1996) and the Meaningful EMR Use scale, newly developed by Price, Lau, and Lai (2011). Demographics were collected for profession, age, gender, years of experience, and took into account the participation of the clinic in government improvement programs including Physician Office Systems Program (POSP) and primary care networks (PCNs). Implementation Climate was found to be the most important factor in predicting high levels of EMR use. Historically documented barriers to EMR implementation were neither as significant nor impactful as the literature suggested.