title: Implementation of electronic medical records requires more than new software: Lessons on integrating and managing health technologies from Mbarara, Uganda.
abstract: Implementation lessons: • Technology alone does not necessarily lead to improvement in health service delivery, in contrast to the common assumption that advanced technology goes hand in hand with progress. • Implementation of electronic medical record (EMR) systems is a complex, resource-intensive process that, in addition to software, hardware, and human resource investments, requires careful planning, change management skills, adaptability, and continuous engagement of stakeholders. • Research requirements and goals must be balanced with service delivery needs when determining how much information is essential to collect and who should be interfacing with the EMR system. • EMR systems require ongoing monitoring and regular updates to ensure they are responsive to evolving clinical use cases and research questions. • High-quality data and analyses are essential for EMRs to deliver value to providers, researchers, and patients.
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Global Health Delivery Project at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Madore
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Global Health Delivery Project at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Mbarara, Uganda; Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
authors.forename: Winnie R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Muyindike
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard University Center for AIDS Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bangsberg
authors.affiliation: Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
authors.forename: Mwebesa B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Bwana
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanyesigye
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Global Health Delivery Project at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: rebecca@globalhealthdelivery.org.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weintraub
mesh_terms: D057286:Electronic Health Records; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D012984:Software; D014454:Uganda
keywords: Building research capacity; Change management; Data management; Electronic medical records; HIV