Health Information Systems in Primary Care Networks: Drivers and Barriers to Adoption

Digital tools are now part of everyday primary care, yet uptake is far from uniform. This narrative review asks what drives and what blocks adoption of health information systems (HIS) in primary care networks. A structured search of PubMed and Scopus for 2016 to 2026 identified 711 records; after screening, 154 met the inclusion criteria, and 47 were selected through explicit rules for in-depth discussion, spanning reviews, hybrid effectiveness-implementation trials, provider and patient surveys, and qualitative evaluations. Findings are grouped into five areas: telehealth; electronic health records, decision support, and information exchange; patient portals, mobile health, and connected devices; the factors shaping uptake among providers, patients, and organisations; and the frameworks that explain whether systems last. The COVID-19 pandemic was the main accelerant, but barriers were consistent: disrupted workflows, weak interoperability, uncertain funding, limited digital skills, and unequal access to devices and connectivity. Adoption is therefore a sociotechnical task, not a purely technical one; equity, provider engagement, and system integration decide whether HIS help the patients who need them most.