Urban primary care facilities in Cape Town, South Africa have been exploring the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems to improve patient management and data accuracy. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys of facility managers to gather data on EHR system usage, benefits, challenges, and patient satisfaction. The survey revealed a significant disparity in adoption rates (30% vs. 70%) between facilities with technological support and those without, suggesting that financial constraints are major barriers. While some facilities experienced substantial improvements in record accuracy and efficiency, others faced challenges such as staff resistance and limited IT infrastructure. Facilities should prioritise addressing technological gaps and provide comprehensive training for staff to maximise the benefits of EHR systems. Government support could also be leveraged to facilitate wider adoption. Electronic Health Records, Primary Care Facilities, Cape Town, Adoption Evaluation Treatment effect was estimated with logit (pᵢ) =₀+^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.
Mabaso et al. (Sun,) studied this question.