Perceptions on the quality of records received via the GP2GP electronic transfer service: pilot online questionnaire study

Abstract

Aim To obtain insight into the perceived quality of electronic records received by GP2GP transfer, from the perspective of staff within the receiving practice. Methods A pilot study using a self-completion online survey.We used textual analysis and descriptive statistics to report the findings. Results Respondents considered a significantly higher proportion of their own records to be accurate, complete and useful compared with records transferred from other practices (P<0.0001). However, very few respondents felt that a large proportion of records were fully inaccurate, incomplete or useless. Perceived accuracy, completeness and usefulness were positively associated with the proportion of electronic records requiring no modification when reconciled with paper records, and negatively associated with the proportion of records requiring major additional information when reconciled with paper records. There were no significant differences in perceived accuracy or completeness of GP2GP records according to which brand of GP electronic patient record system was used. Conclusion The results suggest that respondents value the GP2GP record transfer system. They perceive issues with record quality, which require significant resources to rectify. Textual analysis suggests that difficulties in mapping data structures between systems may underlie some of the perceived issues. Further research is needed to confirm these initial findings on differential perception and explore their underlying causes.

Keywords

• electronic patient records
• perceptions
• quality