Role of Individual Clinician Authority in the Implementation of Informatics Tools for Population-Based Medication Management: Qualitative Semistructured Interview Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) medications are frequently associated with inappropriate prescribing and adverse events. To improve the safe use of DOACs, health systems are implementing population health tools within their electronic health record (EHR). While EHR tools can help increase awareness of inappropriate medication prescribing, a lack of empowerment (or the insufficient empowerment) of non-physicians to implement change is a key barrier. OBJECTIVE To examine how individual authority of clinical pharmacists and anticoagulation nurses is impacted by and changes the implementation success of an EHR DOAC Dashboard for safe DOAC medication prescribing. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews with pharmacists and nurses following the implementation of the EHR DOAC Dashboard at three clinical sites. Interview transcripts were coded according to the key determinants of implementation success. The intersections between individual clinician authority and other determinants were examined to identify themes. RESULTS A high level of individual clinician authority was associated with high levels of key facilitators for effective use of the DOAC Dashboard (communication, staffing and work schedule, job satisfaction, and EHR integration). Conversely, a lack of individual authority was often associated with key barriers to effective DOAC Dashboard use. Positive individual authority was sometimes present with a negative example of another determinant, but no evidence was found of individual authority co-occurring with a positive instance of another determinant. CONCLUSIONS Increased individual clinician authority is a necessary antecedent to the effective implementation of an EHR DOAC Population Management Dashboard and positively affects other aspects of implementation. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1186/s13012-020-01044-5