Sekoai Tebeli E, Turner Astrid, Mitchell Janine
School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2025 May 12;25(1):181. doi: 10.1186/s12911-025-02858-3.
Electronic medical record (EMR) systems have significantly transformed how healthcare data is created, managed, and utilized, offering improved legibility, accessibility, and support for clinical decision-making compared to paper records. In Lesotho, the system was implemented to enhance patient care, track patients, and generate reports for evidence-based programming. It is imperative to understand how healthcare workers (HCWs) perceive the system as frontline end-users; thus, the aim of the study was to explore HCWs' perceptions of the system, focusing on perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) and factors influencing acceptance and utilization in Mafeteng district.
A descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted; 145 healthcare workers from 17 health facilities were invited to participate. The Technology Acceptance Model was incorporated into a self-administered questionnaire. The analysis employed descriptive statistics and the constructs of PU and PEU using Stata/BE 18.0. Multiple regression examined HCWs' perceptions, while verbatim text from participants clarified quantitative findings.
The study had a 49% response rate (n = 71). Most participants were female (70.42%; n = 50), with registered nurse midwives as the most common profession (45.07%; n = 32). A large proportion reported 'good' or 'very good' computer skills (43.66%; n = 31). For PU, 87.32% found the EMR system useful, 83.1% agreed it improves job performance, and 83.1% said it saves time. For PEU, 85.91% found the system easy to use, 81.69% could recover from errors, and 85% could remember task procedures. Network connectivity and electricity supply were cited as barriers to the effective use of the EMR system in health facilities, resulting in interruptions in service delivery. The characteristics of sex and profession had no significant impact on PU and PEU, while both qualification (p = 0.035) and computer skills (p = 0.007) were significant, indicating a positive association with greater PEU of the EMR system.
HCWs in the Mafeteng District exhibited positive attitudes toward the EMR system, recognising its usefulness, ease of use, and efficiency. Sustaining computer literacy and addressing infrastructural challenges could further enhance the successful implementation and adoption of the system, ultimately improving patient care outcomes.
电子病历（EMR）系统显著改变了医疗数据的创建、管理和使用方式，与纸质记录相比，其在清晰度、可访问性以及对临床决策的支持方面都有所提升。在莱索托，该系统的实施旨在改善患者护理、跟踪患者并生成用于循证规划的报告。了解医护人员（HCWs）作为一线终端用户对该系统的看法至关重要；因此，本研究的目的是探讨医护人员对该系统的看法，重点关注感知有用性（PU）和感知易用性（PEU）以及影响马费滕区接受和使用该系统的因素。
采用描述性横断面研究设计；邀请了来自17个医疗机构的145名医护人员参与。技术接受模型被纳入一份自填式问卷中。分析采用描述性统计以及使用Stata/BE 18.0对PU和PEU的结构进行分析。多元回归分析了医护人员的看法，而参与者的逐字文本则对定量结果进行了阐释。
该研究的回复率为49%（n = 71）。大多数参与者为女性（70.42%；n = 50），最常见的职业是注册护士助产士（45.07%；n = 32）。很大一部分人报告自己有“良好”或“非常好”的计算机技能（43.66%；n = 31）。对于PU，87.32%的人认为EMR系统有用，83.1%的人同意它能提高工作绩效，83.1%的人表示它节省时间。对于PEU，85.91%的人认为该系统易于使用，81.69%的人能够从错误中恢复，85%的人能够记住任务流程。网络连接和电力供应被认为是医疗机构有效使用EMR系统的障碍，导致服务提供中断。性别和职业特征对PU和PEU没有显著影响，而学历（p = 0.035）和计算机技能（p = 0.007）均具有显著性，表明与EMR系统更高的PEU呈正相关。
马费滕区的医护人员对EMR系统持积极态度，认可其有用性、易用性和效率。持续提高计算机素养并解决基础设施方面的挑战可以进一步促进该系统的成功实施和采用，最终改善患者护理结果。
