Recent advances in medical computing technology have been shown to improve significantly the quality of medical records documentation in an audit of 15,009 emergency department records. Since malpractice in the ED has been directly linked to the adequacy of medical record documentation, the results of this audit led the insurance commission of a large State to discount malpractice premiums for ED physicians who employ this new technology in their practice. The objective of this research is to determine whether physicians will accept the technology for documenting medical record data. Specifically, can ED physicians be induced to try the technology, will they be willing to continue using it once intensive technical support has ended, and what are the factors that contribute to physicians trying the technology and sustaining use following a period of technical support.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research:Result will be translated into consulting services to physician groups, hospitals, ambulatory clinics, and information system developers for design and implementation support of voice-activated systems for medical records and other applications.Health Care Finance Administration
