The Sample and Procedures

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A questionnaire was distributed to all end users of a computer-based medical information system in a large hospital in the southeastern United States. Its purpose was to collect data to empirically examine the impacts predicted in the theoretical model. The survey was developed with the aid of several hospital administrators. The computer system examined is used by virtually all departments in the hospital to track patient procedures, direct tests to proper locations, maintain diagnosis and physician-specific order sets, provide adequate audit trails, and numerous other healthcare and related activities. The questionnaire contained both demographic information about the participants, their previous and current computer experience, and their perceptions regarding the system and the organizational support for the system. For the statements examining end user perceptions, the participants were provided a Likert-type scale upon which to reply. The scale and weights used were: (1) strongly disagree; (2) disagree; (3) neutral; (4) agree; and (5) strongly agree. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed to all users of this medical information system. A total of 383 usable responses were returned for a 38.3% response rate. The characteristics of the sample formed by these responses are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Sample Characteristics

Response Rate
Total Questionnaires	Returns	Response Rate
1000	383	38.3%

Gender
Male	Female	No Response
9.1%	81.2%	9.7%

Other Characteristics
Variable	Mean	Median	Minimum	Maximum
Age	36.42	35.00	18	72
Employment Years	7.91	5.00	<1	55

Education
Education Level	Some High School	Graduated from High School or GED	College or Technical Training Beyond High School	Graduated From College	Some Graduate School	Graduate Degree	Did Not Respond
%	0.8	6.3	35.5	36.8	7	6.5	7.1

Position
Position	Director	Manager	Supervisor	Staff	RN	LPNs	Secretary	No Response
%	2.9	8.1	7.3	32.9	22.5	6.8	12.0	7.5

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