PDA Use by Physicians: Where Do They Fit with Emerging Technologies and Use of Electronic Health Records in Office Practices?

Galt, Kimberly A.; Fuji, Kevin T.; Drincic, Andjela; Bramble, James D.; Siracuse, Mark V.; Paschal, Karen A.; Abbott, Amy A.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1260/2040-2295.3.1.163

Journal of Healthcare Engineering

On this page

Abstract References Copyright Related Articles

Research Article | Open Access

Volume 3 | Article ID 282935 | https://doi.org/10.1260/2040-2295.3.1.163

PDA Use by Physicians: Where Do They Fit with Emerging Technologies and Use of Electronic Health Records in Office Practices?

Kimberly A. Galt,^1,2Kevin T. Fuji,^1,2Andjela Drincic,^1,3James D. Bramble,^1,2Mark V. Siracuse,^1,2Karen A. Paschal,^1,2and Amy A. Abbott^1,4

Received01 Sept 2011

Accepted01 Nov 2011

Abstract

This cross-sectional study explores physicians' attitudes and beliefs about the use of personal digital assistant (PDA) in the context of other health information technology (HIT) use and HIT-based applications safety in ambulatory care practices. The relationship of PDA use and patient safety is also explored. Ambulatory care physicians in Nebraska and South Dakota were surveyed from July to November of 2007 using a modified Dillman technique. Respondents were in one of three groups: PDA Users (those using a PDA for patient care), Other Technology Users (those not using a PDA, but using other technologies for patient care), and Non-Users (those not using any technology for patient care). PDAs are used by 43% of responding physicians, who tend to be younger and salaried. PDA Users exposed to PDAs during training continued use in practice. PDA Users believed the device enabled them to provide more efficient and better care, reduce errors, and improve patient safety.

References

C. Garritty and K. El Emam, “Who's using PDAs? Estimates of PDA use by health care providers: systematic review of surveys,” Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 8, no. 2:e7, 2006.
View at: Google Scholar
A. M. Lindquist, P. E. Johansson, G. I. Petersson, B. I. Saveman, and G. C. Nilsson, “The use of personal digital assistant (PDA) among personnel and students in health care: a review,” Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 10, no. 4:e31, 2008.
View at: Google Scholar
D. Baumgart, “Personal digital assistants in health care: experienced clinicians in the palm of your hand?” Lancet, vol. 366, no. 9492, pp. 1210–1222, 2005.
View at: Google Scholar
G. McCord, B. F. Pendleton, S. L. Schrop, L. Weiss, L. Stockton, and L. M. Hamrich, “Assessing the impact on patient-physician interaction when physicians use personal digital assistants: a Northeastern Ohio Network (NEON®) study,” The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 353–359, 2009.
View at: Google Scholar
C. M. DesRoches, E. G. Campbell, S. R. Rao et al., “Electronic health records in ambulatory care – a national survey of physicians,” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 359, no. 1, pp. 50–60, 2008.
View at: Google Scholar
A. K. Jha, C. M. DesRoches, E. G. Campbell et al., “Use of electronic health records in U. S. hospitals,” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 360, no. 16, pp. 1628–1638, 2009.
View at: Google Scholar
A. Uslu and J. Stausberg, “Value of the electronic medical record for hospital care: a review of the literature,” Journal of Healthcare Engineering, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 271–83, 2011.
View at: Google Scholar
Committee on The Future of Rural Health Care - Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, Quality Through Collaboration: the Future of Rural Health Care, The National Academies Press, Washington DC, 2004.
S. Fischer, T. E. Stewart, S. Mehta, R. Wax, and S. E. Lapinsky, “Handheld computing in medicine,” Journal of American Medical Informatics Association, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 139–149, 2003.
View at: Google Scholar
K. A. Galt, M. V. Siracuse, A. M. Rule, B. E. Clark, and W. Taylor, “Physician use of hand-held computers for drug information and prescribing.,” in AHRQ Advances in Patient Safety: From Research To Implementation (Serial on CD-ROM), vol. 4, pp. 93–108, 2005.
View at: Google Scholar
A. Ara, B. S. Salibian, and S. Thomas, “Smartphones in surgery,” Journal of Healthcare Engineering, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 473–486, 2011.
View at: Google Scholar
N. Menachemi, R. Perkins, D. J. Durme, and R. Brooks, “Examining the adoption of electronic health records and personal digital assistants by family physicians in Florida,” Informatics in Primary Care, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1–9, 2006.
View at: Google Scholar
M. D. Stephens, D. Waechter, P. M. Williams, A. L. Williams, and K. S. Yew, “Institutional support for handheld computing: clinical and educational lessons learned,” Medical Reference Services Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 28–36, 2010.
View at: Google Scholar
E. W. Vogel, E. J. Gracely, Y. Kwon, and R. C. Maulitz, “Factors determining the use of personal digital assistants among physicians,” Telemedicine and e-Health, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 270–276, 2009.
View at: Google Scholar
D. R. Smart and J. Sellers, Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U. S., American Medical Association, Chicago, 2008.
Nebraska Health and Human Services System, http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/.
South Dakota Department of Health, http://www.state.sd.us/doh/.
University of Nebraska Medical Center Health Professions Tracking Center, http://www.unmc.edu/hptc/.
Nebraska Medical Association, http://www.nebmed.org.
Support Services Division of Nebraska Health and Human Services System, “Rural 2010 Health Goals and Objectives for Nebraska,” http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/puh/oph/docs/Rural-2010.pdf.
View at: Google Scholar
Rural Policy Research Institute, Demographic and Economic Profile South Dakota – updated June 2006, http://www.rupri.org/Forms/SouthDakota.pdf, Accessed August 8, 2011.
D. A. Dillman, Mail and Internet Surveys: the Tailored Design Method, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2nd edition, 2005.
Center for Disease Control National Center for Health Statistics, http://www.cdc.gov/namcs/.
Survey of Kentucky Ambulatory Network Members' Use of Information Technology, 2004, http://healthit.ahrq.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_1248_874955_0_0_18/kentuckyambulatorynetwork_officemanagersurvey.pdf, Accessed July 26, 2010.
R. Miller, “Summary report: 2002 medical group office management systems survey,” Journal of Medical Practice Management, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 207–210, 2003.
View at: Google Scholar
The Commonwealth Fund, National Survey of Physicians and Quality of Care, 2003, http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Surveys/2003/2003%20National%20Survey%20of%20Physicians%20and%20Quality%20of%20Care/2003_nationalsurvey_physicians%20qualitycare%20pdf.pdf, Accessed July 26, 2010.
The Commonwealth Fund, Health Care Quality Survey, 2001, .http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Surveys/2001/2001%20Health%20Care%20Quality%20Survey/qualitysurvey_2001_questionnaire%20pdf.pdf, Accessed July 26, 2010.
The Commonwealth Fund, International Health Policy Survey of Physicians, 2000, http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Surveys/2000/2000%20%20International%20Health%20Policy%20Survey%20of%20Physicians/Internatlsurvey_physicians_2000%20pdf.pdf, Accessed July 26, 2010.
Medical Records Institute, Seventh Annual Survey of Electronic Health Record Trends and Usage For 2005, http://www.ehto.org/2006/US%20Medical%20Records%20Institute%20-%20Results%20of%20the%20EHR%20global%20survey%20in%202005.pdf, Accessed July 26, 2010.
Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology, Final Ambulatory Functionality Criteria For 2007 Certification of Ambulatory EHRs, http://www.cchit.org/sites/all/files/CCHITAmbFUNCTIONALITY2007.pdf, Accessed July 26, 2010.
Medical Group Management Association, Assessing Adoption of Effective Health Information Technology Questionnaire, http://www.mgma.com/WorkArea/mgma_downloadasset.aspx?id=292, Accessed July 26, 2010.
Community Clinics Initiative, Information Management Assessment Survey – Executive Director Version, 2005, http://healthit.ahrq.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_1248_811156_0_0_18/CCI_ED_survey_2005.pdf, Accessed July 26, 2010.
Community Clinics Initiative, Information Management Assessment – Medical Director Survey, 2005, http://healthit.ahrq.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_811158_0_0_18/CCI_MD_survey_2005.pdf, Accessed July 26, 2010.
G. A. Loomis, J. S. Ries, R. M. Saywell, and N. R. Thakker, “If electronic medical records are so great, why aren't family physicians using them?” The Journal of Family Practice, vol. 51, no. 7, pp. 636–641, 2002.
View at: Google Scholar
Healthcare Change Institute, Study of Technology Adoption in California Medical Groups, IPAs and Community Clinics, http://www.chcf.org/~/media/Files/PDF/S/StudyofTechnologyAdoptionMedGroups.pdf, Accessed June 28, 2010.
E. S. Berner, T. K. Houston, M. N. Ray et al., “Improving ambulatory prescribing safety with a handheld decision support system: a randomized controlled trial,” Journal of American Medical Informatics Association, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 171–179, 2006.
View at: Google Scholar
K. A. Galt, A. Rule, B. E. Clark, J. D. Bramble, W. Taylor, and K. G. Moores, “Best practices in medication safety – areas for improvement in the primary care physician's office,” in AHRQ Advances in Patient Safety: From Research To Implementation (Serial on CD-ROM), vol. 1, pp. 101–129, 2005.
View at: Google Scholar
M. Fishbein and I. Ajzen, Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1975.
E. M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations, The Free Press, New York, 4th edition, 1995.
V. Venkatesh and F. D. Davis, “A theoretical extension of the technology acceptance model: four longitudinal field studies,” Management Science, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 186–204, 2000.
View at: Google Scholar
F. D. Davis, “Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and user acceptance of information technology,” MIS Quarterly, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 319–340, 1989.
View at: Google Scholar
GC. Moore and I. Benbasat, “Development of an instrument to measure the perceptions of adopting an information technology innovation,” Information Systems Research, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 192–222, 1991.
View at: Google Scholar
K. A. Galt, A. Rule, W. Taylor et al., “Impact of personal digital assistant devices on medication safety in primary care,” in AHRQ Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation (serial on CD-ROM), vol. 3, pp. 247–263, 2005.
View at: Google Scholar
L. Richiardi, P. Boffetam, and F. Merlett, “Analysis on non response bias in a population-based case control study on lung cancer,” Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 55, no. 10, pp. 1033–1040, 2002.
View at: Google Scholar
J. S. Armstrong Overton TS, “Estimating non response bias in mail surveys,” Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 396–402, 1977.
View at: Google Scholar
J. D. Bramble, K. A. Galt, M. V. Siracuse et al., “The relationship between physician practice characteristics and physician adoption of electronic health records,” Health Care Management Review, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 55–44, 2010.
View at: Google Scholar
A. Platt, “Put a PDA in your practice for easy access to current medical information,” Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 40–44, 2009.
View at: Google Scholar

Copyright

Copyright © 2012 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PDF Download Citation Order printed copies

Views

607

Downloads

745

Citations