Are we ready for the Electronic Patient Record? Attitudes and perceptions of staff from two NHS trust hospitals

Background: In light of plans to implement an electronic patient record (EPR), preparations for radical organisational change were recognised as being critical to success. Aim: To determine hospital staff’s experience of and attitudes toward computer use and the EPR. Method: A cross-sectional design using The Computer and EPR Attitude Survey was administered to 878 health service employees in two acute hospitals; 479 completed questionnaires were returned, representing a 54% response rate. Results: The majority of respondents demonstrated positive attitudes toward the use of computers and toward EPR, although only 298 (62%) wrote that they knew what ‘EPR’ actually stood for. Nurses consistently recorded the greatest agreement with negative statements: ‘I avoid using computers whenever I can,’