Unity in Diversity: Electronic Patient Record Use in Multidisciplinary Practice

Eivor Oborn (), Michael Barrett () and Elizabeth Davidson ()
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Eivor Oborn: School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
Michael Barrett: Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1AG, United Kingdom
Elizabeth Davidson: Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822

Information Systems Research, 2011, vol. 22, issue 3, 547-564

Abstract: In this paper we examine the use of electronic patient records (EPR) by clinical specialists in their development of multidisciplinary care for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. We develop a practice theory lens to investigate EPR use across multidisciplinary team practice. Our findings suggest that there are oppositional tendencies towards diversity in EPR use and unity which emerges across multidisciplinary work, and this influences the outcomes of EPR use. The value of this perspective is illustrated through the analysis of a year-long, longitudinal case study of a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, and nurse specialists adopting a new EPR. Each group adapted their use of the EPR to their diverse specialist practices, but they nonetheless orientated their use of the EPR to each others' practices sufficiently to support unity in multidisciplinary teamwork. Multidisciplinary practice elements were also reconfigured in an episode of explicit negotiations, resulting in significant changes in EPR use within team meetings. Our study contributes to the growing literature that questions the feasibility and necessity of achieving high levels of standardized, uniform health information technology use in healthcare.

Keywords: multidisciplinary; practice theory; electronic patient record; unity; IT adoption; information systems and organizational change; case study; longitudinal research; diversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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