| The purpose of this study is to explore healthcare consumers' perceptions of their Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). Although there have been numerous studies regarding EMRs, there have been minimal, if any, research that explores healthcare consumers' awareness of this technology and the social implications that result. As consumers' health charts transition to digital charts, healthcare providers, health systems, payers and other healthcare organizations are charged with the responsibility to maintain, update, and safeguard health care records to ensure data accuracy, security, and confidentiality. This study, revealed the following perceptional roadblocks to public acceptance of EMRs: information security, privacy, and a general lack of understanding of the technology.;What are healthcare consumers' perceptions of EMRs? What are the perceived risks and benefits of EMRs? And, are healthcare consumers likely to accept a transition to EMRs?;I elected to use an interpretive process to organize, analyze, and interpret healthcare consumers' perceptions. I employed the use of focus groups to collect the lived and shared experiences of participants' perceptions about the phenomenon. Three recurrent themes emerged regarding healthcare consumers' perceptions of EMRs for healthcare consumers: convenience, concerns about lack of personal interaction with healthcare providers, and consumers' privacy and security issues. These themes were further reduced to produce one recurrent theme that reflected the essence of the study- EMR has perceived risks and benefits. |
