Making a Case in Medical Work: Implications for the Electronic Medical Record

Abstract

The introduction of theelectronic medical record (EMR) is widely seenby healthcare policy makers and servicemanagers alike as a key step in the achievementof more efficient and integrated healthcareservices. However, our study of inter-servicework practices reveals important discrepanciesbetween the presumptions of the role of the EMRin achieving service integration and the waysin which medical workers actually use andcommunicate patient information. These lead usto doubt that technologies like the EMR candeliver their promised benefits unless there isa better understanding of the work they areintended to support and the processes used inits development and deployment becomesignificantly more user-led.