Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and quality healthcare delivery: qualitative study on selected hospitals in Ghana

Background: Ghanaian hospitals have been using paper health record systems with different cataloguing labels for decades. Hospitals all over the world now rely heavily on electronic health record (EHR) systems. Driven by e-health, Ghanaian hospitals are already using EHR systems to provide patients with high-quality care while adding value.

Purpose: This study attempts to investigate the adoption of EHR systems and how it affects the provision of high-quality healthcare services, drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). 

Methodology: Semi-structured interviews and qualitative research were employed as data collecting methods. Using the convenience sampling technique, an estimated 50 clinicians were chosen from four hospitals: Kumasi South, Manhyia, Suntreso Government, and Tafo Hospitals. Qualitative Research Software (QSR Nvivo v11) was used to code the transcripts.

Findings: The findings of the study demonstrated the importance of TAM model in adopting EHR systems, and how the adoption of EHR systems facilitate quality healthcare delivery. The study also underscores the importance of EHR systems in Ghanaian hospitals such as provision of information security, improved quality of care, enhanced patient safety, streamlined workflows and efficiency and improved communication and coordination of patients’ care. However, the findings also found inadequate management support, inadequate training, the non-integration of other systems, and unfriendly user-interface as challenges of EHR systems.