Factors associated with the utilization of electronic medical records in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Objectives: This study examined the factors associated with the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in public hospitals in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Methods: Three hundred and ninety-six (396) healthcare professionals were surveyed from the various public hospitals in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The participants included physicians, physician assistants, nurses, laboratory technicians, radiologists, pharmacists, record managers, and ICT staff. Frequency and Chi-Square analyses were performed on the data. Results: The results showed that approximately 59% (n=212) of health professionals indicated low use of EMR services in their hospitals. Lack of computer competence (p<0.001), poor communication between users (p=0.050), cost of EMR resources and facilities (p<0.001), lack of technical personnel to install and operate EMR technology resources (p<0.001), and lack of EMR software packages (p