Organizational Barriers Facing Health Care Professionals in Relation to Health Information Technology - A Review

Abstract

Health care organizations and government agencies have been struggling to optimize the use of health information technology to improve the quality and safety of care and to achieve specific health care goals. Health information technology can be used to enhance care processes, support structured data collection, and improve communication among providers. The challenges of deploying health information technology are dynamic and complex. Not only is implementation difficult for health care organizations in general, but in the health care environment, professionals face specific barriers that must be confronted. These barriers can have a range of interrelated consequences at the individual, professional, and patient levels, including underuse or abandonment of health information technology, high information and communication load, lack of effective information exchange, and inefficient cooperative work.
Research has found that barriers and the impact of health information technology on professionals vary depending on the context in which it is used. The enactment of health information technology and the healthcare setting can greatly influence its benefits. It is important to study health information technology within the framework of complex workplace systems and cooperative care work. Methods: A systematic search strategy focused on health care professionals in relation to information and communication technologies. The search strategy aimed for an objective recruitment of publications in order to get an overview of the scope of the topic. This was performed by limiting the search to topics that are part of the title, abstract, or index of the publication, implying that the search was block limited. The main search string consisted of the following main concepts: professionals and/or practitioners, health/healthcare AND barriers OR problems OR issues OR interruptions OR challenges OR difficulties AND attitudes OR acceptance OR adoption OR resistance, etc. By using different combinations of the two main concepts, various potential combinations of relevant MeSH and free text terms were generated. Conclusion: Evaluating and understanding current barriers and promoting behaviors through several solutions in the use of information technologies are crucial. It requires a thorough understanding of the factors that govern user acceptance and usage. This can often be done by considering the different ways in which individuals view perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. These views are generally formulated through a combination of personal and organizational factors and influence the decision-making process. Organizations must invest in developing sound support systems. This will involve focusing on system quality, with special emphasis on simplicity and ease of use. Furthermore, health care planners must be aware and attempt to overcome the negative impact of fear, control, attitude, satisfaction, and anxiety. To encourage and promote health care professionals, it is important to couch the transition to new systems in terms familiar and relevant to the users, providing continuous and adequate support through the implementation period. This support should contribute to usage and performance behavior, helping professionals to derive satisfaction from their work. In conclusion, doctor learning and growth will depend largely on the level of understanding of patient care, the impact of health care professional motivations, and the organizational climate of health care.