Factors Associated with Physicians’ Actual Use of the Computerised Physician Order Entry System for Prescribing Medicines at Government Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background Assuring patient safety and providing high-quality care are the main goals of any healthcare system. Computerised physician order entry (CPOE) systems with clinical decision support (CDS) features are one of the most effective strategies to prevent medication errors and improve the quality of care. The effectiveness of these systems ultimately depends on physicians’ utilisation of CPOE systems to their full capacity. However, previous studies suggest that physicians’ utilisation of CPOE with CDS remains challenging. Research regarding factors associated with the utilisation of CPOE after its full implementation is limited and poorly investigated. The objective of this study is to investigate factors associated with physicians’ self-reported actual use of CPOE in government hospitals in the context of Saudi Arabia. More specifically, this research aimed to assess the level of physicians’ self-reported actual use of CPOE, in order to identify the factors associated with its use and determine how physicians’ demographic characteristics affect that use. Methods This is a mixed-methods study that uses a questionnaire survey and interviews. The participants were physicians working in two government hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The number of complete surveys analysed was 183, and interviews were conducted with 9 physicians. Results The utilisation of CPOE in government hospitals in Saudi Arabia was high to moderate. Factors associated with its use were related to the user, the organization, or the technology itself. The degree of association varied between the CPOE tasks, and physicians’ characteristics also had an impact on use. Conclusion The findings of this study will provide healthcare professionals, decision makers, and healthcare information system developers with the necessary knowledge that can help healthcare organizations or practices evaluate the utilisation of an existing CPOE system, implement a health application, or update an existing one. This will enhance physicians’ adoption of the systems in practice and, consequently, will lead to improved quality of care.