HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COGNITIVE LOAD: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY INTO ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM TRAINING AND INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

This thesis investigates (i) cognitive load in training on EMR systems; and (ii) the merits of instructional design techniques, known to manage cognitive load, for training on EMR systems. The study subscribed to Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) as a theoretical lens and adopted an interpretive case study with semi-structured interviews with the actors involved in an EMR system training. The reflexive thematic analysis of the interview data showed that (i) the actors interpreted cognitive load as a recognised phenomenon before and during their training; and (ii) they positively regarded the instructional techniques as having merit for their EMR system training.