Managing the implementation of a Hospital Information System: An implementation procedure

Abstract

The aim of this research is to develop an implementation procedure which can support future Hospital Information System (HIS) implementation for hospitals. In order to develop such a model, a thorough literature study was conducted in which factors were found which affected the implementation of a HIS. Once these factors were known, a second literature study was done in. This literature study focused on implementation plans and procedures for an ERP system implementation project. Based on the literature studies, a synthesised literature-based procedure for a HIS implementation was formed. In order to validate this synthesised procedure, three case studies in three hospitals were done in which in-depth interviews were conducted. Based on these results the procedure was validated and adjusted. The validated procedure consists out of three stages. The first stage is the Planning stage, which has five steps. Stage two is the Implementation stage, which consists out of three steps. Stage three of the procedure explains the project evaluation and the aftermath of the launch. During these three stages, it is important to inform the employees about the project. When employees feel engaged in the project, they will have more trust in the project, which means less resistance and more participation. The use of this implementation procedure will help guide hospitals during their implementation of a HIS and will increase the likelihood of a successful implementation.