Factors Influencing Nursing Professionals' Computer-Based Information Systems (CBIS) Use Behavior

Introduction

In today’s dynamic, information-intensive and result-focused environment, organizations including those in the healthcare sector continue to invest heavily in computer-based information systems (CBIS) (NShIS, 2005; Kijsanayotin et al., 2009). Examples of CBIS used in the healthcare sector include electronic health record, electronic medical record, clinical decision support, patient care systems, mobile healthcare system, and so forth. The management of healthcare organizations around the world demands that their employees utilize such technologies in their duties (Kaplan & Shaw, 2004). However, a good number of health-based CBIS projects around the world have failed or been abandoned, in part, due to reasons such as reluctance to use such systems due to limitation in information technology (IT) skills (Short et al., 2004), and other individual and environmental factors (Kaplan & Shaw, 2004). Therefore, it is critically important that factors influencing healthcare professionals’ acceptance and use behavior of CBIS and related technological be investigated.

As per the variables considered for this study, their inclusion was informed by a desire to incorporate theory-driven and evidence-based factors considered to be relevant to professionals’ perceptions (Holden & Karsh, 2010). Computer anxiety, which is a social-cognitive factor that indicates a feeling of anxiety for computer use was included. Kjerulff et al. (1992) found that clinicians who were anxious about using IS in their job generally showed less support for CBIS use. Healthcare researchers have shown that computer self-efficacy, another social-cognitive factor, has a bearing on clinicians’ acceptance of CBIS (Ammenwerth et al., 2003; Hsu et al., 2006). In general, a healthcare professional that have favorable attitude toward IS tends to have positive intention to use implemented IS in their contexts (Lapointe & Rivard, 2006; Holden & Karsh, 2010; Holden, 2010; Vanneste et al., 2013). It has been shown that peer or social influence plays a significant, positive role in the behavioral intention of healthcare workers, including RNs toward accepting and integrating CBIS in their work or practice (Lee et al., 2003; Holden et al., 2013). Facilitating conditions is critical for clinicians’ acceptance of IS (Chau and Hu, 2002; Kijsanayotin et al., 2009; Vanneste et al., 2013).

Specifically, this research is designed to answer the question: what factors influence nursing professionals’ CBIS use behavior? Information garnered from this current endeavor would be useful in better managing expectations and behaviors of Canadian’s nursing professional vis-à-vis technology adoption. It was decided to use the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) as an initial theoretical frame given its suitability in explicating all behaviors and for the fact that other studies focusing on nurses’ adoption of IS have previously used it (Shoham & Gonen, 2008; Leblanc et al., 2012).