title: Private primary care physicians' perspectives on factors affecting the adoption of electronic medical records: a qualitative pre-implementation study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of electronic medical records (EMR) has the potential to offer quality and safety benefits, but without the adoption of the technology, the benefits will not be realized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to identify the factors perceived as relevant by private physicians when considering EMR adoption.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative pre-implementation study was conducted using semi-structured, face to face interviews to explore the perspectives of physicians (n=16) operating in private clinics on the factors affecting their adoption of EMR. A multilevel, work system approach and the immersion/crystallization data analysis technique guided the researchers in examining the data, identifying patterns and key themes, and extracting representative quotes to illustrate these themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The major factors associated with EMR adoption, which relate to the five categories of a work system, were system usefulness; user interface design; technical support; cost; system reliability; the privacy, confidentiality, and security of patient information; physical space in the clinic; data migration process; adverse work-related factors; and the computer and systems skills of physicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-implementation identification of factors important to adoption can allow system developers to focus proactively on these factors when developing the system and its implementation strategies, to maximize the likelihood of successful introduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Haking Wong Building, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Calvin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Or
authors.affiliation: Health Informatics Department, The Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Health Informatics Department, The Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Health Informatics Department, The Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016494:Computer Security; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D018907:Privacy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020377:Self Efficacy; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Health IT adoption; physician; primary care; work system approach