Abstract

Back ground: Although the electronic medical record (EMR) offer several benefits, its application is still meager. This article describes the state of EMRs, their advantage over existing paper records, and the problems impeding their imple- mentation.
Objective: To assess the readiness of the physicians in Al-Hada Military Hospital in Taif city toward implementing EMR. Material and Methods: Questionnaire consisting of personal demographic variables, practical demographic variables, beliefs and attitudes variables, and security and confidentiality variables were distributed on 131 practicing physician, accepting to participate, present at the time of the study (not on vacation or leave), and working in Al-Hada Military Hospital in Taif city (excluding visiting or locum physician). Result: Of 129 physicians, 107 were male subjects, which represented 83%, while female subjects represented only 17%. Most of the participants were from family and community medicine (25%), followed by surgery (20%), pediatrics (14%), medicine (12%), and then OBG (8%). Other departments represent almost 21% cumulatively. Most of the physicians showed an encouraging awareness and beliefs about the potential benefits of implementing EMRs. About two- third of physicians believe in easiness of using EMRs, and only 4% expressed their need for intensive training. Conclusion: Generally, the attitudes of Al-Hada Military Hospital physicians toward computerization of medical record were excellent. These positive attitudes fall in favor of adopting EMRs.