A Decade of Health Information Technology Usability Challenges and the Path Forward

• Published in: JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 321; no. 8; pp. 743 - 744
• Main Authors: Ratwani, Raj M, Reider, Jacob, Singh, Hardeep
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Medical Association 26-02-2019
• Subjects: Diagnostic systems; Electronic health records; Electronic medical records; Frustration; Information technology; Laboratory tests; Standardization; Technology utilization; Usability; User satisfaction
• ISSN: 0098-7484; 1538-3598
• DOI: 10.1001/jama.2019.0161

The 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act successfully promoted the adoption of health information technology (HIT), specifically electronic health records (EHRs). The majority of US hospitals and ambulatory clinicians have adopted an EHR and some benefits, such as easier access to patient information and the ability to more easily order certain medications, laboratory tests, and diagnostic tests, have materialized. However, usability—defined as the extent to which technology can be used efficiently, effectively, and satisfactorily—remains suboptimal.1 Usability challenges in the last decade have had unintended consequences. Poor EHR usability contributes to errors that are associated with patient harm.2 It also results in clinicians spending extra time using the EHR, contributing to clinician frustration, which, in turn, has been reported to jeopardize patient safety.3