Electronic patient records are more than just data

A UCL review of electronic patient record (EPR) programmes has revealed that while such programmes promise much, sometimes they deliver little. The major literature review, published in the US journal The Milbank Quarterly this week, identifies fundamental and often overlooked tensions in the design and implementation of EPR programmes. The findings have implications for large-scale EPR programmes around the world. Review co-author Henry Potts from UCL's Centre for Health Informatics and Multi-professional Education (CHIME) here discusses the impact this review will have and whether technology and workplace practices can ever become symbiotic. How did this research come about?. 'It all started with a grant from the NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Programme in which I had said I would do a literature review of the relevant research on electronic patient records from an organisational perspective. However it soon became apparent that it was a much bigger project than I imagined so I linked up with colleagues in DoME (UCL Division of Medical Education) who were also interested in this area.' - What surprised you the most when undertaking this review?.