Objective: To determine the usability of the electronic health record (EHR) utilized for primary care for diabetic patients at the Nairobi Hospital to improve service delivery.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey to physicians, nurses, and health information management officers. Interviews were conducted using a peer-reviewed usability questionnaire. A standard metric of technology usability, System Usability Scale (SUS) was utilized to summarize results.
Results: A mean SUS score of 91.7 which is in the A grade meaning that the usability of the EHR was acceptable. Participants 44% reported that the EHR did not provided some of the features required for completion of tasks. Moreover, participants 75% reported the EHR did not provide good error messages whenever they made mistakes.
Discussion: The perceived usability of the EHR was both useful and satisfactory. Both regular and intermittent users of the software would easily recover whenever they made mistakes. However, the EHR did not provide an attribute for the entry of the measurement for waist size yet it is an essential attribute for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Also, the EHR did not provide opportunity for recording patient drug allergies, instead, had pre-recorded incomplete list of drug allergies.
Conclusions: The usability of the EHR was acceptable except for the need to provide an attribute for waist and the need to provide good error messages and feedback to users. Moreover, the institution needs to address the challenge of workload experienced by the users of the EHR software.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Background and Significance
3 Materials and methods
4 Results
4.1 Characteristics of participants
4.2 Participants’ satisfaction rating on training to use the EHR
4.2.1 Participants’ perceived usefulness of the EHR software
4.2.2 Participants’ perceived ease of use of the EHR software
4.2.3 Participants’ perceived ease of learning to use the EHR software
5 Discussion
5.1 EHR software covers the comprehensive picture of the subject
5.2 Usability of EHR software
5.3 EHR software on handling user errors
5.4 Interaction of the EHR users and the workplace
5.5 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary objective of this study is to assess the usability of electronic health records (EHR) utilized for primary care of diabetic patients at the Nairobi Hospital, identifying how current software design influences user performance and service delivery.
- Usability evaluation based on the System Usability Scale (SUS)
- Perceived usefulness, ease of use, and ease of learning by clinicians
- Identification of gaps in software functionality for chronic disease management
- Impact of workplace factors and training on EHR adoption and satisfaction
Excerpt from the Book
1 Introduction
The large volume of patients experienced in the chronic diseases clinics results in high work pressures for the staff working in such clinic hence the usability of all software systems used in chronic disease clinics need to be at their level best. Usability is the capacity of a software system to provide a condition for its intended users to perform tasks safely, effectively, and efficiently while enjoying the experience. Therefore, usability of an Electronic Health Record (EHR), is the capacity of the EHR software to provide a condition for its users (nurses, physicians, health records and information management officers) to perform tasks (such as creation of accounts within the EHR for a given patient or update the health records of a patient during and after an encounter) safely, effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily (Lee et al., 2019).
The users of an EHR need to accomplish tasks safely; meaning that such users need to be cushioned from the possibilities of making errors or running into cases where the users are no longer in control since they do not know the next appropriate steps to take in the effort to accomplish intended tasks. Also, users of a given EHR software need to effectively accomplish tasks when using the EHR such that tasks are never left incomplete. Moreover, tasks that are successfully completed need to have been accomplished within acceptable time-frames. Finally, whenever a given user of a given EHR software accomplishes tasks successfully, the experience along the process of task completion needs to create a sense of satisfaction with both the accomplished task and the experience while going the process of task completion. However, there are a number of confounding factors to be considered in satisfactory use of EHR to accomplish tasks. These confounders are the work environment and provision for adequate training opportunities to learn to use the EHR (Zhang & Walji, 2011).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Introduces the clinical context and defines usability in the framework of Electronic Health Records for chronic disease management.
2 Background and Significance: Analyzes the transition to electronic records and the importance of user interface design in preventing clinician burnout and errors.
3 Materials and methods: Explains the cross-sectional study design involving primary care staff at the Nairobi Hospital using SUS metrics and usability questionnaires.
4 Results: Presents the demographic breakdown of participants and their evaluation of the EHR regarding satisfaction, usefulness, ease of use, and learning.
5 Discussion: Interprets findings regarding software adequacy, clinical needs (e.g., waist measurement), error handling, and workplace motivations influencing EHR usage.
Keywords
Usability, Electronic Health Record, Satisfaction, Sufficiency, Clinical Efficiency, User Interface, Error Prevention, Chronic Disease Management, Nairobi Hospital, System Usability Scale, Healthcare Technology, Task Completion, Clinician Performance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research investigates the usability and effectiveness of electronic health record systems currently deployed at the Nairobi Hospital for managing diabetic patients.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The work covers software usability metrics, patient data requirements for diabetes care, human-computer interaction, and organizational factors like employee training and morale.
What is the primary goal of the study?
The goal is to determine if the EHR software performs adequately to support clinical tasks and to suggest improvements for service delivery based on user feedback.
Which scientific method was applied?
The study utilized a cross-sectional survey methodology, employing peer-reviewed questionnaires and the System Usability Scale (SUS) to evaluate software quality.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body treats demographics of the users, their satisfaction ratings, perceived usefulness and ease of learning, and a detailed discussion on software design shortcomings.
Which keywords characterize this publication?
Key terms include Usability, Electronic Health Record, Satisfaction, Sufficiency, and User Interface design.
Why is waist size data relevant to this EHR study?
The study highlights that while the EHR is generally functional, it lacks fields for waist circumference, which is identified as an essential clinical parameter for diagnosing diabetes mellitus.
How does the clinical environment relate to EHR usage?
The text explains that high patient volumes create pressure, and usability is vital to help clinicians manage diagnostic data efficiently without experiencing undue cognitive load or burnout.
What conclusions does the author draw regarding error management?
The author identifies a critical deficiency in the software, noting that it does not provide sufficient feedback or error alerts, which are necessary to prevent medical errors.
- Citar trabajo
- Amos Olwendo (Autor), 2025, Usability Evaluation of an Electronic Health Record to Improve User Performance. The case of Nairobi Hospital, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1571211
