From maternity paper hand-held records (PHR) to electronic health records (EHR): What do women tell us about their use? — YRD
  1. Schedule
  2. Concurrent Stream 6 - Free papers: Building quality and capacity
  3. From maternity paper hand-held records (PHR) to electronic health records (EHR): What do women tell us about their use?

From maternity paper hand-held records (PHR) to electronic health records (EHR): What do women tell us about their use? (456)

Glenda Hawley 1 , Julie Hepworth 1 2 , Claire Jackson 1 , Shelley Wilkinson 1 3
  1. APHCRI Centre of Research Excellence, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia
  2. School of Public Health & Social Work, University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  3. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Keywords

Maternity, antenatal, electronic health record, shared-care

Introduction

This study examines maternity health records used in a shared care arrangement between women, general practitioners (GPs) and a tertiary referral hospital in South East Queensland.  In June 2012 a maternity electronic health record (EHR) was introduced to replace a paper hand-held record (PHR).  This paper presents the qualitative results from women using the PHR and EHR.

Method

The research design was qualitative involving homogenous purposive samples of antenatal women to capture rich and informed data.  Women provided their personal accounts of using the records through semi-structured face to face interviews at a 36-40 week clinic visit to examine a collective view of the benefits and difficulties of sharing information and integrating care using a PHR and an EHR.  The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis.  An interpretive enquiry was used to allow emergent themes to be explored and compared between each of the three groups of participants.

Results

The main themes identified will be presented and the implications for health policy in the area of antenatal shared care will be discussed.

Conclusion

These results will demonstrate the differences in how women use the maternity records to document and guide care in the antenatal period.  The findings will assist policy makers to develop improved models of information access and sharing between women, hospital clinicians and GPs.