Exploring physicians’ continuous use of clinical decision support systems

ABSTRACT

Today, studying continuous clinical decision support system (CDSS) use is critical as continuity is a prerequisite to sustaining successful CDSS implementations. Previous health information technology (HIT) research has focused on HIT acceptance via information system-related constructs. Theoretical models explaining HIT use are limited and obfuscated other phases of HIT, such as continuous use in a clinical context. This study seeks to fill this gap by integrating context-related factors with IS factors in a theoretical framework that explains the antecedents of continuous use. To validate this model, data were collected from physicians after six months of using CDSS as well as system usage data from system logs. Threats to physician professional identity surpassed the intention to continue using CDSS, influencing its use by physicians in the first six months, and patients affected by the system influenced physician satisfaction with the system and, hence, their use of the system. This study reveals physicians’ continuous use of CDSS and explains the effects of healthcare contexts on physicians’ behaviour.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical decision support systems
• attitude-behaviour model
• health information technology
• continuous use

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2022.2119172.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mohamed Abouzahra

Mohamed Abouzahra: Assistant Professor of Information systems and data analytics, College of business, California Sate Monterey Bay. The author research interests include healthcare information systems, blockchain technology, and wearable devices. The author has published in several top information systems and healthcare journals including the International journal of information systems and the European journal of information Systems.

Dale Guenter

Dr. Dale Guenter, Department of family medicine at McMaster University is a medical and healthcare researcher who participated in numerous studies in the healthcare domain. His work is published to top healthcare and medical journals

Joseph Tan

Joseph Tan: Professor of Information Systems, McMaster Univesity. Prof. Tan research interests include healthcare technology and healthcare information systems. Prof. Tan served as a guest speaker at several healthcare conferences around the world and his work has been published in top information systems and healthcare journals.