Views of users on factors affecting data quality of iranian electronic health record (SEPAS) in Hospitals Affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences: brief report

Background: The Electronic Health Record contains personalized health care information. Several factors affect the quality of SEPAS (Iranian electronic health record) data, disregarding the types of hospital information system set-up in hospitals. The purpose of this study was to investigate users' views on the factors affecting the data quality of Iranian Electronic Health Record (SEPAS) in hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018. In this study, the views of supervisors of the SEPAS system, HIS chief officers, and head of health information technology departments of hospitals were evaluated through a valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire. Content validity ratio and content validity index of the questionnaire were validated as 0.82 and 0.94, respectively. Furthermore, the internal questionnaire reliability was affirmed by Cronbach's alpha of 0.96. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics in the SPSS v.16 software. Results: The most important individual factor of affecting SEPAS data quality was staff training (4.19±0.94 of 5). Moreover, the factor “Personnel awareness of goal, mission, and vision of SEPAS system" had the lowest score (3.86±1.16). Also, the most critical organizational factor was the integration and relation of the HIS with the Civil Status Registration System (4.43±0.72). In examining technical factors, the quality of its support team responsiveness to user demands had the highest score (4.56±0.58). Also, the utilization of new data collection instruments and technologies (barcode, RFID, etc.) had the lowest score (4.22±0.98). Conclusion: The most efficient solutions to improve quality of SEPAS data seems to be continuous training of staff, enhancing HIS connection with the Civil Status Registration System and improving the responsiveness of SEPAS support team.