ELECTRONIC PATIENT RECORD USE IN PUBLIC HOSPITAL: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH ON AFFORDANCES AND CONSTRAINTS

Abstract

The electronic patient record (EPR) is an integral part of a health system reform and modernization aimed to digitalize, process and share patient-related medical and administrative data, for the purpose of controlling health costs and improving the care pathway management. The literature reveals that its use by professionals is considered as complex, slow, and often unpredictable process. While some actors are perceiving constraining aspects, others are observing facilitating aspects. The research’s objective is to provide an explanation regarding the point of views differences of the actors pushing them to the usage or the difficulties of the usage. By mobilizing the theoretical framework of affordance, the research shows that the nature of individuals’ practices is the source of the perceptions of affordances and constraints of the DPI leading groups of professional actors to use, misuse or not use the same DPI in the same institution. The research then shows that the study of the practices of individuals is a blind spot that participates in giving explanation of the use and the difficulties of use.