Staff's Computer Use and Experience in Mental Health Care Organizations in Finland

摘要

Information technology (IT) and communicationskills needed for the health care environment arechanging. Current computer technology providesmany new opportunities for developing clinicalpractice. It provides great advances to support andenhance nursing practice. Computer literacy hasbecome a necessary skill for efficient use of clinicalcomputer systems by health care professionals. Thisis important in every sector of health care.Information technology makes it possible toincrease the participation of the health care patientin his/her own care by improving the opportunitiesfor contact and by providing the necessaryinformation base for participation to the patient andhis/her relatives. In ensuring that this is achieved theprofessional skill of the staff is crucial. This studywas carried out in two psychiatric hospitals inFinland. The purpose of this study is to describe theinformation technology user experience andknowledge of staff working in psychiatric hospitals.The data were collected using The Staggers NursingComputer Experience Questionnaire, which isstructured. Data analysis was performed withdescriptive methods. The study produced knowledgeabout participants IT skills and what kind of obstacles they have relating to IT use. Results are useful to develop working methods and IT skills among personnel in psychiatric nursing.