title: Tensions and paradoxes in electronic patient record research: a systematic literature review using the meta-narrative method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The extensive research literature on electronic patient records (EPRs) presents challenges to systematic reviewers because it covers multiple research traditions with different underlying philosophical assumptions and methodological approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the meta-narrative method and searching beyond the Medline-indexed literature, this review used "conflicting" findings to address higher-order questions about how researchers had differently conceptualized and studied the EPR and its implementation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four previous systematic reviews and ninety-four further primary studies were considered. Key tensions in the literature centered on (1) the EPR ("container" or "itinerary"); (2) the EPR user ("information-processer" or "member of socio-technical network"); (3) organizational context ("the setting within which the EPR is implemented" or "the EPR-in-use"); (4) clinical work ("decision making" or "situated practice"); (5) the process of change ("the logic of determinism" or "the logic of opposition"); (6) implementation success ("objectively defined" or "socially negotiated"); and (7) complexity and scale ("the bigger the better" or "small is beautiful").
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that EPR use will always require human input to recontextualize knowledge; that even though secondary work (audit, research, billing) may be made more efficient by the EPR, primary clinical work may be made less efficient; that paper may offer a unique degree of ecological flexibility; and that smaller EPR systems may sometimes be more efficient and effective than larger ones. We suggest an agenda for further research.
authors.affiliation: University College London, England. p.greenhalgh@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Trisha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Greenhalgh
authors.forename: Henry W W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Potts
authors.forename: Geoff
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Pippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bark
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Swinglehurst
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004739:England; D006302:Health Services Research; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D016239:MEDLINE; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012307:Risk Factors