DISADVANTAGES

Improved legibility of records. Better accountability. Focuses staff on record keeping - clinical governance, quality.

Uncertainty introduced in sustaining confidentiality of records.

Standardization of information and formats. Technology can follow working styles - e.g., integrated care pathways, electronic health record.

Cost - hardware and software expensive, rapid depreciation. Hard for public agencies to keep up with pace of change. Maintenance, system support.

Ease of information retrieval. Increasing versatility with mobile and telecomputing.

Retrieval still not straight forward. Integration of different systems can be problematic, especially between organisations - health - social services.

Secondary information support, lists, aide memoir.

Needs of users change, can the system change? Organizational needs as a whole may over ride the information needs of departments.

Data processing, and analysis, quick turnaround time. Help define priorities rapidly.

Also takes up space.

Has potential to reduce time spent on notes.

Systems need management - archive, backup schedule.

Facilitates research, audit.

Requires designated staff to assume responsibility for data protection, 'Caldicott Guardians'.

Facilitates evaluations of nursing care.

Increases security risk. Does ease of access for staff = ease of access for thieves?

Record can be encrypted in storage, until hard copy, or display is needed. Audit trails.

Staff support and training. Ergonomics must also be taken into account & reviewed regularly - risks to health.

'Instant' benefits in research and audit applications.

Measurement of benefits attributed to ICT not impossible, but complex in health contexts.

Properly designed/implemented and deployed systems can help support clinicians, allowing arbitrary level of detail with sufficient expressibility.

System success dependent on several factors. Especially how well users state requirements, suppliers implementation and organizational procurement and roll-out. Previous negative experiences of staff have to be overcome.