African Traditional and Complementary Medicine (Medical focus) | 19 December 2008
Adoption and Acceptability Dynamics of Electronic Health Records in Rural Kenyan Clinics Over Two Decades
O, s, c, a, r, K, i, b, e, t, O, t, i, e, n, o, ,, N, d, i, r, a, n, K, i, r, a, c, h, o, N, g, a, n, g, a
Abstract
The adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in rural Kenyan clinics has been a subject of interest due to their potential to improve healthcare delivery and data management. The study employed longitudinal observational research design with a mixed-method approach involving quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews in selected clinics. A significant proportion (65%) of clinics adopted EHRs by the end of the second decade, with acceptability levels ranging from 40% to 80%, indicating increasing acceptance over time. The findings suggest a gradual increase in both adoption and acceptability of EHR systems in rural Kenyan clinics, influenced by technological advancements and healthcare policy changes. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of EHRs on clinic operations and patient outcomes, while policymakers should consider incentives for further EHR integration. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.