ABSTRACT
The health information technology story describes an implementation of an integrated electronic health record (EHR) system in a large university teaching hospital. After the implementation of the EHR, a main issue in information access was caused by workflows that were impeded. The process to use the EHR was slower than using the paper records at hand. One of the system features that slowed workflow was the structured character of the EHR. Constant technical problems caused the staff to think that the EHR did not ease their documenting load but rather interfered with their workflow and caused unwanted periods of waiting for the system to open or to find the next patient’s data. With the EHR, the patient information was “hidden” behind different headings of new nursing classifications and behind the views in the new system environment.
