Technology adoption of electronic medical records in developing economies: A systematic review on physicians’ perspective

Abstract

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are a tool that could potentially improve the outcomes of patient care by providing physicians with access to up-to-date and accurate vital patient information. Despite this potential, EMR adoption in developing economies has been dilatory. This systematic review aims to synthesize the related literature on the adoption of EMRs in developing economies, with a focus on the perspective of physicians. With the aim to discern the key factors that impact EMR adoption as perceived by physicians and to offer guidance for future research on filling any gaps identified in the existing literature, this study utilized a systematic literature review by following the PRISMA guidelines. Out of 1160 initial articles, 21 were selected for analysis after eliminating duplicates and non-qualifying articles. Results show that common enablers of EMR adoption from physicians’ perspective were identified to be computer literacy, education, voluntariness, and the system functionality including its features and user interface, implying that the provision of proper interventions focusing on the aspects of the health information system has an impact in maximizing the utilization and capabilities of EMRs among healthcare providers. The most prevalent barriers include the lack of training and IT usage experience along with resistance to changes associated with respondents’ age and gender, the lack of time for learning complex EMR systems, and costs of the new technology. This indicates that a thorough planning and proper budget allocation is necessary prior to implementing and integrating EMR systems in healthcare institutions. From this synthesis of the common research conclusions, limitations, and recommendations from physicians’ perspective, the result of this systematic review is expected to shed light on the optimal technology adoption of EMRs and its contribution to the health care systems of developing economies.