Is EHR the cure? An examination of the implementation of an electronic health record in rural Alberta

As Canada continues its drive towards a national electronic health record the costs are mounting. With 256 projects underway the question has to be asked: what are the true costs of such an endeavor? Success hinges on cooperation at all levels and adequate funding in place to see it to completion. Has Canada taken into full consideration the impact that this project will have in the long run? One small part of a much larger project in rural Alberta puts a face on the huge undertaking. Nurses in one former health region adopted not only an Order Entry module but also began using computers for the first time in order to do their work. Nurses are one of the key end-user groups actually inputting the information into these systems. Is data entry something nurses need to be concerned with at all especially at the Order Entry level?...