Going paperless – Qualitative monitoring of staff morale during the transition from paper to electronic health records

BACKGROUND: Organisational change is an important part of development and growth. Transitioning from paper-based hospital records to electronic health records improves efficiency and patient safety by streamlining data access and reducing the risk of errors, ultimately leading to enhanced patient care and outcomes. In October 2020, a large NHS trust underwent the transition from paper notes to a fully electronic health records system. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to monitor staff morale during this organisational change; to highlight any issues arising that may impact on the smooth transition; to encourage feedback. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to all members of the maxillofacial outpatients department on a regular basis. The qualitative responses were analysed using NVivo, following a framework analysis model. RESULTS: The analysis generated 1319 codes, which were placed into 68 groups. The three main themes were ‘Transformational Advancements in Healthcare Delivery’; ‘Obstacles to Seamless EHR Integration; ‘Navigating the Transition and Evolving Perceptions’. DISCUSSION: Regular monitoring of morale and staff opinion allows for smoother transition in a large-scale organisational change. The results of this project will help future hospitals and trusts undergoing similar transitions.