The impact of electronic medical records on the quality of care: a scoping review.

Abstract

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have become an integral component of modern healthcare systems, with the potential to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare delivery. This review aimed to evaluate the impact of EMR applications in healthcare systems based on the quality of care. A scoping review was conducted using three electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) from January 2015 to December 2019. The inclusion were open-access articles written in English, with quantitative and qualitative study designs. A total of 220 articles were retrieved from the literature search; 19 articles met the inclusion criteria and were eligible for the final analysis. The review identified five major quality-of-care domains, namely safe, effective, patient-centred, timely, and efficient. There were heterogeneous findings with some studies pointing toward positive, negative, or neutral consequences of EMR implementation in healthcare systems. This review suggests several vital future directions to further enhance the positive impacts of EMR in providing the best services to patients. Thus, recommendations focus on strengthening technical resources by addressing cost, ensuring the availability of appropriate software and support systems, and enhancing the comprehensiveness of user training.