Electronic health record (EHR) projects in Canada: participation options for Canadian health librarians

Abstract

Research question: What are the major issues in the implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems in Canada and what competencies can Canadian health librarians bring to their participation in these projects? Data sources: Health informatics and library science databases were searched for EHR literature. Grey literature was located at Canada Health Infoway's website, on provincial and federal government websites, and by searching online news websites. Study selection: The data sources were searched for journal articles, reviews, newspaper articles, government publications, interviews, grey literature, dissertations, editorials, and discussions. Data extraction: Data were extracted from the data sources using search strategies and keywords outlined in Appendix A. Due to the scope and focus of this paper, search terms were selected to emphasize a Canadian context; in particular, a British Columbian perspective in regards to EHR implementation. Results: This paper draws on a body of evidence to discuss EHR implementation issues and health librarian involvement in Canada. There is a growing body of research in the American biomedical literature about health librarian participation in EHR implementation but little in the Canadian health literature. Conclusion: This is the first paper of its kind that proposes new roles for Canadian health librarians in EHR implementation. Health librarians’ expertise in organizing and retrieving information makes them ideally suited for providing evidence-based medicine or consumer health information embedded directly in EHRs. Further research is needed to demonstrate the value of health librarians on EHR project teams.