Use of Electronic Medical Records in Academic Hospitals: limits and remedies

In the last years the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) has become a leading driver of OECD national health systems to improve healthcare quality and reduce healthcare costs (Oecd, 2010). In fact, the use of ICTs are a primary lever of OECD countries to enhance the efficiency and the effectiveness of health services delivered to the citizens. This has led the Italian government to assign priority to electronic healthcare and specifically to the creation and adoption of electronic health record (EHR) (Bergamaschi, Laura, & Elianna, 2006). We analysed the experience of developing and implementing an electronic medical record, core element of a EHR, by the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata (Integrated NHS-University Hospital) of Verona. We identified the critical factors in the system implementation, its organizational impact, and the effects on clinical practice as perceived by the system’s users.