User perception and attitude toward electronic medical record system in veterinary practice in Ghana

Introduction: the electronic medical record system (EMR) has proven to be an efficient tool with an effective disease tracking system and offers the ability to record animal health data in real-time. The present study is aimed at investigating the user's perception and attitude towards the adoption and implementation of EMRs in veterinary practice in Ghana. Methods: a cross-sectional survey was adopted through the application of a drop-off/pick-up approach to collect data via the administration of a questionnaire to veterinary physicians, para-veterinary staff, and veterinary students on internship in fourteen (14) veterinary health facilities selected across the Greater Accra region. The selected sites were observed for EMR tools or information technology infrastructure. Results: a significant proportion (88.7%) of respondents owned a computer or tablet, with 69.0% believing EMR functions would be very important to their work. Most of the respondents (90.0%) agreed that the many functions and benefits of EMRs would greatly improve efficiency and impact the workflow in their practice. Most of the respondents (91.6%) agreed to embrace the implementation of the EMR system in their respective facilities. Over two-thirds (80.3%) of the respondents agreed to devote some time from their heavy work schedules to the EMR training. The attitude of the respondents had a positive significant (p = 0.024, 0.765) relationship with their perception towards adoption of EMRs. Conclusion: veterinarians, and para-veterinarians, representing 99.5% of the population, have demonstrated a positive perception towards the importance of specific functions of EMR and the impact these technologies will have on their practice.