OCCUPATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN COMPUTER-RELATED ANXIETY - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTERIZED PATIENT-MANAGEMENT INFORMATION-SYSTEM

The present investigation was concerned with the implementation of an information system within a health care setting. A large number of sta ff required training on a new patient management information system (M IS). The aim of this study was to assess occupational differences on a number of psychological variables associated with MIS success. Comput er anxiety was of primary concern due to its relationship to avoidance of computers. A total of 175 questionnaires were distributed, with 10 3 questionnaires being completed and returned for analysis (61.1%). It was found that clerical/administrative staff had significantly higher self-efficacy regarding computer use and more experience with compute rs. The nursing group experienced significantly more, computer anxiety , negative attitudes, and negative expectations than the clerical grou p. Self-efficacy was found to be the best predictor of computer relate d anxiety. The results have implications for MIS implementation strate gies particularly in the areas of training and resource allocation.