The role of electronic records in disability support

The aim of this study was to explore how disability support organisations and people who work in these organisations understand electronic records within the context of their daily work. Interviews were carried out with 16 front-line support management staff from a consortium of organisations that were introducing a shared electronic record; a software firm representative; and a project manager. Interviews were analysed thematically. Participants lacked consistency in how they described and anticipated the electronic record. They were unclear about who would use and benefit from the record. The role of third parties in the use of the record, such as medical professionals, was also unclear. Clarity about the way in which electronic records might change the work of support organisations could address larger challenges related to the concepts of "choice and control" and "person-centred" support. Without a consistent understanding of electronic records in disability support, there is a risk that future implementations of such records will fail.