Kurt Lewin’s Theory and Implementation of Electronic Health Records
Abstract
Ubiquitous application of electronic health records will change the practice of nursing in a number of important ways. The report argues that the widespread of electronic health records will have a positive impact on health care system’s (1) safety, (2) effectiveness, and (3) efficiency. Although the benefits of integrating electronic health records in the practice of nursing are evident and numerous, a large proportion of health care providers oppose the process. This opposition can be attributed to (1) the potential limitations associated with the use of electronic health records and (2) health care providers’ reluctance to leave their comfort zone and take actions to change the old and ineffective ways of doing things. The project argues that health care providers’ opposition to the integration of electronic health records into their practice can be responded through the implementation of Kurt Lewin’s change model. The model provides a framework for the change process and encompasses three stages: unfreezing, moving on and refreezing. To facilitate the transition from one stage to another, health care managers and administrators apply a number of strategies: (1) the unfreezing stage involves establishing a dialogue between stakeholders, thus laying a foundation for subsequent cooperation, (2) transition to the moving stage is facilitated through involvement of front-line employees in decision-making process and staff training, (3) the unfreezing stage requires the introduction of monetary and non-monetary incentives to encourages employees’ application of new, and more effective, ways of doing things on an ongoing basis.
Keywords: Electronic health records, Kurt Lewin’s change model, unfreezing, moving on, refreezing, effectiveness, efficiency, safety, performance quality.
Introduction
Advancements in computers and information technology change the nursing profession (Payne, 2017). Over the past few years, such changes are mainly related to the implementation of electronic health records that are “an electronic information system used by nurses and other health care professionals to systematically document clinical information that pertains to the health of an individual” (Payne, 2017, p. 1). The implementation of electronic health records is associated with a range of benefits, including improved quality of health care services and reduced costs (Menachemi & Colum, 2011). Menachemi and Colum (2011) argue that health care providers will be able to improve the quality of care through the implementation of clinical decision support tools and health information exchange. At the same time, ubiquitous application of electronic health records is expected to save around $78 billion annually (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). In addition to the mentioned benefits, it is expected that the use of electronic health records will result in improved access to care, which has become a particularly acute issue in American society.
Despite the indicated advantages, a large proportion of nurses oppose wide-scale application of electronic health records. Payne (2017) attributes such opposition to nurses’ concerns regarding the integration of electronic health recording into their professional practice. For instance, some nurses believe that the implementation of electronic health records will disrupt their work or create an additional workload. Obviously, …
