Electronic health records and e-prescribing in Australia: An exploration of technological utilisation in Australian community pharmacies.

Autor: Hareem A; Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: s3929854@student.rmit.edu.au., Stupans I; Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia., Park JS; School of Engineering, Information Technology and Physical Sciences, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia; Dental School, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia., Stevens JE; Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Clinical & Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia., Wang K; Pharmacy, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; School of Allied Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: International journal of medical informatics [Int J Med Inform] 2024 Jul; Vol. 187, pp. 105472. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 May 01.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2024.105472
Abstrakt: Objective: This study aimed to assess the utilisation, benefits, and challenges associated with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and e-prescribing systems in Australian Community Pharmacies, focusing on their integration into daily practice and the impacts on operational efficiency, while also gathering qualitative insights from community pharmacists.
Methods: A mixed-methods online survey was carried out among community pharmacists throughout Australia to assess the utilisation of EHR and e-prescribing systems, including the benefits and challenges associated with their use. Data was analysed based on pharmacists' age, gender, and practice location (metropolitan vs. regional). The chi-square test was applied to examine the relationship between these demographic factors and the utilisation and operational challenges of EHR and e-prescribing systems.
Results: The survey engaged 120 Australian community pharmacists. Of the participants, 67 % reported usability and efficiency issues with EHR systems. Regarding e-prescribing, 58 % of pharmacists faced delays due to slow software performance, while 42 % encountered errors in data transmission. Despite these challenges, the benefits of e-prescribing were evident, with 79 % of respondents noting the elimination of illegible prescriptions and 40 % observing a reduction in their workload. Issues with prescription quantity discrepancies and the reprinting process were highlighted, indicating areas for improvement in workflow and system usability. The analysis revealed no significant statistical relationship between the utilisation and challenges of EHR and e-prescribing systems with the demographic variables of age, gender and location (p > 0.05), emphasising the necessity for healthcare solutions that address the needs of all pharmacists regardless of specific demographic segments.
Conclusion: In Australian community pharmacies, EHR and e-prescribing may enhance patient care but come with challenges such as data completeness, technical issues, and usability concerns. Implementing successful integration relies on user-centric design, standardised practices, and robust infrastructure. While demanding for pharmacists, the digital transition improves efficiency and quality of care. Ensuring user-friendly tools is crucial for the smooth utilisation of digital health.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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