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From Resistance to Reliance: Sustaining EMR Adoption at Narayana Health
Sachin Tyagi and Shreya Mishra
Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida, India
Ajoy K. Dey
IILM University, Gurugram, India; North American Case Research Association, USA
Volume 18: 2025, pp. 77-90; ABSTRACT
Adopting Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in healthcare is often difficult due to
behavioral and technical issues. This case study explores the journey of EMR implementation at
Narayana Health (NH), a leading hospital in India. After trying outsourced EMR systems, NH built
its in-house ATHMA application. During implementation, challenges were faced, including
doctors’ resistance, software adaptability, and sustaining the adoption. Dr. Sreenivasan Narayana
(VP EMR), overcame these challenges using strategic approaches to achieve an initial adoption.
However, he faced a critical decision point to choose between either enhancing software features,
or managing doctors’ endless requirements for longer term adoption. Designed for courses in
Organizational Behavior and Information Systems, this case provides insights into behavioral
dynamics, socio-technical challenges, and the long-term adoption of technology implementation.
Keywords: digital health, change management, technology implementation, health information
systems.
