Electronic Medical Record (EMR) technology acceptance by healthcare professionals in South Africa

South Africa is in the process of implementing a multi-billion Rand National Healthcare Insurance (NHI) strategy, the objective of which is cost effective healthcare service delivery to all South Africans. An electronic health record (EHR) system will form a vital component of the infrastructure that needs to be put into place for managing healthcare services. A brief review of the literature reveals that in the healthcare sector, even though high-end technology and detailed planning were incorporated during Electronic Medical Record (EMR) roll-out at the healthcare hospitals and clinics, it is impossible to predict whether the system would be optimally utilised or not. The primary reason is that there exists some kind of resistance amongst healthcare professional towards the use of the EMR systems. Thus, managing the transformation from a paper-based to an electronic system is a complex process and it highlights the importance of understanding the human aspect associated with the technology rollout and system utilisation. Since the South African health care sector is in the preliminary stage of introducing EMR technology, it is deemed essential to gain an understanding of the human factors that will contribute to the successful adoption of the EMR system countrywide. With this in mind, this research study aimed at gaining an understanding of the perceptions of EMR technology implementation and use among healthcare personnel. It focuses on aspects related to the type of technological system deployed, user skills and organisational compatibility. It also aims to find possible solutions that will directly influence the healthcare professionals in either accepting or rejecting the technology.