Dispositional resistance to change and hospital physicians' use of electronic medical records: A multidimensional perspective

Although electronic medical records (EMR) adoption by health care organizations has been widely studied, little is known about the determinants of EMR individual use by physicians after institutional adoption has taken place. In this study, the determinants of inpatient physicians' continuous use of EMR were studied. Four dimensions of EMR use were analyzed: use intensity, use extent, use frequency, and use scope. A web-based survey was administered to physicians at a large university hospital; respondents filled out a survey with questions relating to their EMR use, attitude, beliefs, work style, and dispositional resistance to change. Structural equation modeling was carried out to analyze the relationship between these factors. Physicians were found to differ substantially in the scope, extent, and intensity of their EMR use. Their attitude toward EMR use was associated with all use dimensions. Dispositional resistance to change was negatively related to perceived ease of use and with perceived usefulness both directly and through the mediation of compatibility with preferred work style. Time loss was negatively related to both perceived usefulness and attitude toward EMR use. Implications for research and practice are discussed.