Journal of Modern Medical

Introduction
Electronic health record system (EPAS) (in Persian), is one of the largest information technology projects in the field of health in Iran. This project has been implemented to integrate the health information of Iranian people at the national level. The integration of health information using this system allows the possibility of providing health-treatment services and better management of the Iranian health system. Integration and rapid access to health data, clinical diagnosis and reduction of medical errors, patient safety, patient participation in the treatment process, patient satisfaction, creation of a platform for research, economic benefits, improving the quality of health data, among these advantages of the SEPAS. Despite these advantages, it seems that the implementation of this plan can face many problems due to its extensiveness, and if this system fails, many departments in the therapeutic, educational and research sectors that depend on the information of this system will also be affected. Therefore, this study aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this system based on the perceptions of the users.

Methods
This qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews in 2019. Participants were 10 users of the SEPAS system in hospitals affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, two managers related to this project, and two members of the faculty of the Health Information Technology Department of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. Therefore, a total of 14 face-to-face interviews were conducted. The interviews were coded and the participants ensured the confidentiality of the information. The interview started with a general question, “What do you think about the SEPAS system?” Also, general questions were raised regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the SEPAS plan, as well as technical, financial and managerial issues. During the interview, the materials were noted and recorded if agreed. In the end, the materials were read and transcribed. Then, meaning units or primary codes were extracted. Finally, the codes were merged and categorized into seven groups based on similarities and differences.

Results
The seven main themes were strategic management and supervision, education and culturalization, standards/laws, development and establishment, research, technical infrastructure, and project development in medical universities. The theme of strategic management and supervision included the subthemes of consultation, supervision and control of the operation. The theme of education and culturalization included the subthemes of education of beneficiaries and culture building by holding seminars and conferences. The theme of standards/laws refers to the developing and updating the standards for the SEPASS plan. The theme of research emphasizes the writing of books and articles and the creation of research centers and electronic health development centers and specialized laboratories. The theme of technical infrastructure includes the support of data centers, information security, and the communication platform. The final theme indicates the need to implement and evaluate the plan at the university level.

Conclusion
The findings revealed that the implemented programs for SEPAS are far from the defined plans. Continuous evaluation by medical universities in Iran and conducting various researches in the country can be helpful in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the SEPAS project. In addition, paying attention to organizational culture, management and technical issues is important in the success of this project. The formation of an interactive, coherent and coordinated platform between medical universities and beneficiaries necessities the implementation of this plan.

Ethical Considerations

Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.ARUMS.REC.1396.183). 

Funding
This study was done with the financial support of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences.

Authors' contributions
Conceptualization: Kamal Ebrahimi, Sima Alavi, and Solmaz Khodam; Data curation: Sima Alavi and Solmaz Khodam; Methodology: Abdollah Mahdavi and Kamal
Ebrahimi; Writing: Abdollah Mahdavi and Kamal Ebrahimi.

Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank and appreciate the efforts of the health information technology department of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences.

 

 

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