Perceptions of healthcare workers on the electronic health record system of sexually transmitted disease clinics in Sri Lanka: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Electronic health recording (EHR) is an essential advancement for healthcare systems in developing countries. The success of EHRs depends on timely modifications based on user feedback. This cross-sectional study assessed the impacts, barriers, and areas for improvement of the Electronic Information Management System (EIMS) across twenty-three sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in Sri Lanka.

METHODS

This study used stratified sampling including doctors, nurses, public health laboratory technicians (PHLTs), medical laboratory technicians (MLTs), public health inspectors (PHIs), public health nurses (PHNs) and pharmacists working in STD clinics (n = 173). Data was collected via an online self-administered questionnaire in 2022.

RESULTS

The sample had a mean age of 40.9 years; 62.4% were female. Most participants had not used other electronic health systems (61%), but had received EIMS training (68.8%) and held IT qualifications (56%). EIMS was perceived to enhance communication (61.3%), data confidentiality (81.9%), work efficiency (66.5%), and error reduction (68%). However, 35% of doctors reported a negative impact on patient communication (p < 0.001), while 25% of PHIs and PHNs had concerns about data confidentiality (p = 0.012). The main reported barriers were technical issues (95%) and high workload (43%). Although most respondents were confident in their computer and English literacy, 35% and 50% of nursing officers lacked computer skills and EIMS training, respectively. Additionally, 10% of PHIs/PHNs reported low English confidence. The most requested improvement was faster system speed (76%).

CONCLUSIONS

EIMS improved efficiency but has technical, training, and communication challenges. Interventions are needed to improve doctor–patient communication during EIMS use and strengthen computer skills among nurses and English proficiency among PHIs/PHNs. Address technical issues, reducing workload will improve EIMS use.