Title: Managing the quality of health information using electronic medical records: an exploratory study among clinical physicians

Authors: Alan D. Smith

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA 15219–3099, USA

Abstract: As technology is advancing in the healthcare field, ways of reducing costs and improving quality are key initiatives in the tedious processes of operations planning. There are several ways of reducing costs and improving quality management. One such way is the implementation of Electronic Health Records (HERs). A personally interviewed sample from a relatively large healthcare facility located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which is associated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, netted a total of 44 physicians. There were no statistically significant relationships found based on |clinicians| willingness to accept Electronic Medical Record (EMR)-embedded systems with gender|, |benefits outweigh risks for EMR-embedded implementation|, |EMR-embedded systems should be mandated|, |EMR-embedded systems should be administered by the federal government|, |EMR-embedded systems should be administered by regional systems|, |EMR applications are an invasion of privacy| and |IT-related technologies pose an added threat to the healthcare environment|. It was only for the independent variable |improves quality of care by EMR-embedded implementation| that most physicians felt that such a technology does positively impact patient care.

Keywords: Administrative Simplification Compliance Act; ASCA; electronic health records; EHRs; electronic medical records; EMRs; Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; HIPAA; technology adoption model; TAM; e-healthcare; quality management; health information; patient care.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEH.2008.022665

International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2008 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.267 - 289

Published online: 24 Jan 2009 *

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