Physician satisfaction with electronic medical records in a major Saudi Government hospital

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to measure physician satisfaction with a recently introduced electronic medical record (EMR) system and to determine which of the individual attributes of EMR were related to physician satisfaction. Methods: One year after introduction of an EMR system, physicians in an inpatient department were asked to answer a self-administered survey. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine which attributes were significantly related to overall satisfaction with the system. Linear regression analysis was then performed to examine the association between the three main domains of the questionnaire and overall satisfaction with the system, with adjustment for physician demographic characteristics. Results: A total of 115 physicians answered the survey. Only 40% were satisfied with the system overall. The best predictors of overall satisfaction were performance in the form of speed, integration with workflow, and patient information, such as accuracy, completeness and timeliness. Conclusion: Physicians were generally not satisfied with the system. Continued evaluation of such systems and feedback from users should guide future selection and implementation.