Electronic patient records as a tool to facilitate care provision in nursing homes: an integrative review.

OBJECTIVE: The electronic patient record (EPR) has been introduced into nursing homes with the aim of reducing time spent on documentation, improving documentation quality and increasing transferability of information, all of which should facilitate care provision. However, previous research has shown that EPR may be creating new burdens for staff. The purpose of this literature review is to explore how EPR is facilitating or hindering care provision in nursing homes.

METHODS: An integrative literature review was carried out using four electronic databases to search for relevant articles. After screening, 22 articles were included for thematic synthesis.

RESULTS: Thematic synthesis resulted in six analytical themes linked to care provision: time for direct care; accountability; assessment and care planning; exchange of information; risk awareness; and person-centered care.

CONCLUSION: For EPR to facilitate care provision in nursing homes, consideration should be given to the type of device used for documentation, as well as the types of applications, the functionality, content, and structure of EPR. Further research exploring the experiences of end users is required to identify the optimal characteristics of an EPR system specifically for use in nursing homes.