Investigating the influencing factors of evidence-based healthcare practice adoption

Abstract

Background: In healthcare facilities, evidence-based healthcare practice (EBHP) is becoming more widely acknowledged as a critical element of patient care delivery. An increasingly important component of EBHP is the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs). Objectives: This study aims to investigate factors that influence EBHP adoption in public healthcare institutions in South Africa. Method: Four hundred and fifty patients were self-administered to healthcare professionals at an academic public hospital in Gauteng and used in this study. A total of 300 responses were available for use in the final analysis following the data cleaning procedure. Utilising structural equation modelling (SEM), the collected data were analysed. Results: Perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) were found to be major variables in the adoption of EBHP along with technological, organisational and environmental factors. The technology context relative advantage (RELA) was shown to have a positive significant influence on the adoption of evidence-based healthcare practice by the PEOU and PU, with the environmental context government laws and regulations (GLRS) and organisational context organisational readiness (ORGR) coming in second and third, respectively. Conclusion: Perceived ease of use, PU, ORGR, and GLRS are regarded as a vital variables in the implementation of EBHP in South African public hospitals. Contribution: The study’s conclusions would be helpful to policymakers as they redefine nursing practice. Furthermore, the findings heighten the consciousness of healthcare practitioners regarding the significance of employing evidence-based practice while making decisions.

Keywords

• perceived ease of use
• perceived usefulness
• healthcare professionals
• relative advantage
• government laws and regulations
• organisational readiness
• evidence-based healthcare practice