Perception and barriers to electronic medical record use among physicians and nurses in General Hospitals in Lagos State

TL;DR

Healthcare workers in Lagos mostly support electronic medical records but face challenges like poor infrastructure and unreliable power.

Contribution

This study identifies key barriers to EMR adoption in Nigerian hospitals and highlights the positive perception among healthcare workers.

Findings

98.6% of respondents had a positive perception of EMR.

Major barriers included insufficient computers, inconsistent power supply, and poor internet.

Older healthcare workers showed a significantly different perception of EMR compared to younger ones.

Abstract

The adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in Nigeria has been slow despite the benefits. Health worker perception is pertinent in promoting its adoption.

To assess the perception and barriers to EMR use among physicians and nurses in general hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria.

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study utilizing multistage sampling to select 293 respondents. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire, analysed and presented as frequency tables. Chi-squared test determined association with EMR perception with level of significance at p ≤ 0.05.

The mean age of the respondents was 36.6 ± 10.2 years. Majority of the respondents (69.3%) were female. Most respondents (98.6%) had positive perception of EMR. Major barriers to the use of EMR highlighted by the respondents included insufficient computers (90.8%), inconsistent power supply (87.0%), hardware or software failure (85.7%), and poor internet (84.7%). There was significant association between respondents age group and EMR perception (p = 0.018).

There was a predominantly positive perception of EMR among healthcare workers in Lagos, despite significant barriers such as inadequate infrastructure and inconsistent power supply. Strategic investments in technology, reliable electricity, and internet connectivity are needed for enhancing EMR adoption and optimizing healthcare delivery.