Strategy Formulation of Electronic Health Record Implementation Using SWOT Analysis

Changes in the health care system and society along with increase in the power of technology have imposed a mounting pressure on policymakers, healthcare providers, and the health care system to develop electronic medical record systems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of implemented electronic health record systems from the perspective of hospital managers of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2015.
This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study. The study population included all managers of hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The research instrument was a questionnaire which gathered information on internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats) of electronic health record systems. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and SWOT analysis.
The most important strength of electronic records was quick and timely access to information (weight rating: 0.147) and the most important weakness was lack of equipment and hardware necessary for the implementation of electronic health records (weight score: 0.094). Moreover, the sharing of information between health service providers and better management of information (weight score: 0.121) were reported as the most important opportunities, and lack of strategic planning in the field of electronic health records (weight score: 0.127) as the most important threat for these record systems.
Politicians and investors in healthcare can use the strategies presented in this research to improve and accelerate the implementation of electronic health records in Iran. Furthermore, drawing a strategic plan, designing standards for security, privacy, and sharing of information, and increasing resources and financing are the steps that can be taken to better implement electronic health records.