Characteristics of Complete and Incomplete Physicians’ Unlearning with Electronic Medical Record

This study examines the concept of unlearning, the process of disuse or replacement of an action, procedure or belief in favor of a new one, in the context of healthcare. Little is known about the true nature of unlearning and related learning change processes within the context of healthcare. The study of unlearning continues to be important not only due to the nature of the discipline itself, but physicians are required to support knowledge change for improved care quality. The study argues the introduction of new Health Information Technologies (HITs), such as EMRs, affect the unlearning process in physician providers. We address the following research question: “What are the characteristics of the unlearning process by physicians who are using EMRs?” using a qualitative case study methodology. Interviews, the primary data collection method and coding is mainly used for data analysis. Results show physician unlearning is characterized as either complete unlearning or incomplete unlearning.