Electronic medical record system user satisfaction and its implication on individual performance: a case of a university teaching hospital in Rwanda

The aim of this study was to assess the level of user satisfaction with an electronic medical record system (OpenClinic) among healthcare service providers in a hospital setting and its implication on their performance. The study was conducted at the "Centre Hospitalier Universtaire de Kigali", which has been implementing OpenClinic as an Electronic Medical Record system since 2007. The study was a cross-sectional mixed research using explanatory embedded design. The data was collected on a convenient sample of 217 OpenClinic users through the questionnaires including closed and open ended questions in order to capture both quantitative and qualitative data. The study used the descriptive and inferential statistical tests for analysis for quantitative data, and content analysis for qualitative data. The OpenClinic user satisfaction was found to be high (91%) as well as the proportion of users who perceived it as having positive impact on their performance (94%). The relationship between user satisfaction and perceived impact was statistically significant (p < 0.001), and satisfied users were 20 times more likely to perceive it having positive impact than non-satisfied users (Fisher's odds ratio = 20.5 [CI: 5.3, 85.1], Wald's odds ratio = 21.2 [CI: 6.3, 71.1]. Important concerns were expressed by users and the main ones are the poor functionality of the system due to unstable internet, the limited capacity of use and the scarcity of computers. Therefore, the Electronic Medical Record system implementation at the hospital has been successful and its user satisfaction led to perceived positive impact, but it needs further improvements for optimal success.