The effects of organizational contextual factors on physicians' attitude toward adoption of Electronic Medical Records.

INTRODUCTION: Physicians' adoption seems to be a significant issue when comprehensive implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) is considered. This study was conducted to determine the organizational contextual factors affecting physicians' adoption of EMR.

METHODS: This was a descriptive-analytical study in which a sample of 330 physicians working in hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences was selected. Physicians' attitudes toward EMRs' adoption have been assessed by a conceptual path model of Technology Acceptance model (TAM) and organizational context variables. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS16 using regression analysis. The final model was tested by structural equation modeling (SEM) and represented by SPSS-AMOS, structural equation modeling software.

RESULTS: The results suggest that modified proposed conceptual path model explains about 56% of the variance of EMRs' adoption. The findings also evidenced that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), management support; physicians' involvement, physicians' autonomy, and the doctor-patient relationship have direct and significant effect on physicians' attitudes toward EMRs' adoption. However, training showed to have no significant effect on PU and PEOU.

CONCLUSION: The present study acknowledged that considerable part of physicians' attitude toward EMRs' adoption is controlled by organizational contextual factors. These factors should be subsequently the major concern of health organizations and health policy makers.