Nurses' Perceptions and Recommendations on the Safe Use of "Copy and Paste" Function in an Electronic Medical Record of a National Tertiary Hospital.

Abstract

Background and objectives: This study at a national tertiary hospital in Manila, Philippines investigated the use of the "Copy and Paste" Function (CPF) within their Electronic Medical Record (EMR). While CPF has benefits and risks, little is known about its usage patterns and impact on patient safety at the institution. This study explores nurses' perceptions and recommendations on CPF use in this hospital's EMR, assessing its prevalence, impact on patient safety, associations between prevalence and impact, and providing usage recommendations.

Methods: A sequential explanatory research design was employed using surveys and semi-structured interviews. Ethical clearance was obtained before data collection. Instruments were adapted from similar studies and have undergone expert validation. Content validity was confirmed, and internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.77). Stratified random sampling determined the respondents per area. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Spearman's rho, and thematic analysis.

Results: The survey (n = 256) showed CPF use by nurses and doctors, and was confirmed by semi-structured interviews (n = 9). Nurses generally perceived CPF's impact on documentation as neutral (40.17%), leaning towards positive impact. Interviews supported this, revealing both "challenges" and "benefits" of CPF use as themes after thematic analysis. There was no statistically significant association between perceived CPF prevalence and its perceived impact on patient safety (p = 0.164). The theme "considerations for safe CPF use" also emerged from the analysis.

Conclusion: This study found mixed perceptions on CPF's impact in healthcare. There is a call to continue its use, but safety measures must be implemented first. Recommendations include order verification, caution, practice standardization, selective CPF usage, additional technological features, and alternative documentation methods. A governance structure to manage EMR-related issues, such as unsafe CPF practices, is also recommended to ensure proper monitoring and response.