The feasibility of managing electronic Patient Health Records (ePHRs): The case of public clinics in Potchefstroom, South Africa

Due to the presence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), there is a need for patients in public clinics in Potchefstroom, South Africa to move from paper-based patient records towards electronic Patient Health Records (ePHRs). This paper, based on qualitative research, investigates the perceptions of nurses on the feasibility of managing ePHRs at public clinics in Potchefstroom. The study identifies factors that will influence the use of ePHRs at these clinics. The findings of the study indicate that patients who visit clinics in Potchefstroom will each have an individual ePHR which will allow their specific data to be securely stored. The integration of ePHRs will ensure that one patient will have one health record across these clinics in Potchefstroom, which will further provide efficiency in record-keeping and shorter consultations at clinics.