Technology enabled workplace learning - rethinking electronic health records to support performance feedback: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The health sector collects a plethora of electronic health data via digital technologies such as electronic health and medical records. Primary use of Electronic Health Records includes supporting service delivery, providing data on patient information and healthcare operations. Secondary uses of these systems can include quality improvement activities, research, and possibly inform policy. One underexplored secondary use of data from these systems is to enable health professionals to understand their performance, reflect on their practice and potentially support enhanced professional and workplace learning. There is growing interest and increase in policies to focus on motivating the use of this type of data as part of mandatory Continuing Professional Development. Despite this, the design of Electronic Health Records is not conducive to the use of these systems for reflective practice and there are few best practice guides for how to scaffold the use of this data for secondary use. The project aims to explore how the design of EHRs can support the performance feedback process and formatively to influence their behaviour so it is aligned with best practice. OBJECTIVE The primary objective is to explore the use of electronic health and medical records by health professionals to further understand the current and possible future use of these records for professional feedback and workplace learning. METHODS The project will use a mixed methods design, to enable a wholistic picture of participant behaviours. Study data are being collected over three phases. Phase I consists of interviewing health professionals and clinicians about their experiences of EHRs and EMRs. Phase II will involve surveying health professionals about specific EHR features and Phase III will encompass workshopping discussions around EMR functionality and design with key informants. Participants for Phase I and Phase II will be a convenience sample of health professionals who self-select and volunteer to participant in the study. Participants for Phase III will consist of policymakers, representatives from peak bodies, technology vendors, health professionals and others. RESULTS Data collection for phase I has commenced. As of September 2024 a total of six interviews have been undertaken with eligible participants. CONCLUSIONS The project will generate new knowledge on the extent to which data collected by workplace technologies provides health professionals with formative performance feedback. It will also develop a conceptual design for EHRs that supports health professional learning which could be leveraged by developers of these technologies in future implementations.