Perceptions of electronic health records by minority ethnic groups in mental health: A systematic literature review

The implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in mental health contexts has been slow. Reasons for this include concerns from health care professionals regarding the collection of sensitive information and the stigma associated with mental health services. Despite the low uptake of EHRs, the benefits include patients feeling empowered and in control of their own treatment. However, minority ethnic groups often access mental health services through crisis pathways and have been found to disengage with EHRs. The aim of this review was to explore minority ethnic groups’ perceptions of the utility of mental health EHRs and establish perceived barriers and facilitators to access. MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science were searched. Included papers mentioned minority ethnic groups from the 37 listed countries on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and included service users, clients or patients accessing EHRs in mental healthcare settings. Papers were required to be published between 2009 – 2025. Eight papers met all criteria for inclusion, and three themes emerged: Limited English proficiency as a barrier, Lack of access to technology and Perceived impact of EHRs on access to care. Barriers to access EHRs with limited English proficiency, no access to technology, and stigma was a significant issue for minority ethnic groups due to concerns of who has access to the electronic health data. Benefits of accessing EHRs included easier and efficient access to records. EHRs are critical for modern health systems and further work is required to improve EHRs usage in mental health systems for minority ethnic groups.