Therapists’ experiences with implementing new documentation practices for low back pain in electronic health care records: an interview study

Anne Katrine Skjølstrup Toftdahl, Stine Ibsen, Louise Bilenberg Pape-Haugaard, Allan Riis

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Objective: Clinical practice is constantly changing with new guidelines being published, changes in patients’ preferences but also by new qualitative requirements for therapists and institutional surveys on delivered care. Electronic health records (EHR) are used for all these purposes. We involved physiotherapists and occupational therapists in an intervention to change documentation practice in their electronic health record for low back pain (LBP) and later evaluated the feasibility of the new health records. The aim of the present study was to explore therapists’ experiences working with the new EHR. Results: Three themes were identified thru interviews: (I) Facilitators and motivators towards implementation, (II) Changing routines as a group and (III) Obstacles against successful implementation. This study identifies a need for involving therapists and management for successful change of electronic health care records usage in municipalities. However, difficulties were encountered in meeting documentation of practice requirements and obtaining sufficient data quality in the EHR for data to be used for daily use, quality assessment and research. In this small descriptive study, developing an EHR that simultaneously serves treatment plans, quality assessment, and research purposes was not expressed being feasible. Further research in this area is needed.

Original languageEnglish
Article number293
JournalBMC Research Notes
Volume16
Number of pages5
ISSN1756-0500
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Oct 2023

Keywords

  • health, nutrition and quality of life

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