Impact of hospital information systems on patient care: nurses’ perceptions

Abstract

Aim: To explore the perceptions of nurses about the use of a Hospital Information System (HIS) in the provision of patient care in terms of information and system quality. Background: Although HIS are becoming a vital part of nursing care, it is unclear what system characteristics contribute to nursing acceptance. Method: A cross-sectional survey research design was applied to collect data from nurses in the sample. Results: The survey response rate was 82 per cent (140 out of 170 nurses responded) and the resultant Cronbach’s alpha statistic was 0.78. Generally, 87.9 per cent of respondents utilized HIS in their daily practice. System characteristics identified by the nurses as beneficial included timeliness, reliability, data completeness and accuracy of information. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that the nurses in this sample perceived that HIS qualities of timeliness and reliability contributed to complete and accurate information about patients in nursing practice. These qualities appeared to enhance the value of the HIS in the nurses’ perception.