Abstract
Contemporary health information systems have moved to become electronically supported. This has presented the need for these eHealth systems to exist as an ecosystem that allows for healthcare service collaboration amongst service practitioners. In this research paper, the aim is to form an understanding of the healthcare practitioner readiness for Health Information Systems (HIS) interoperability in Zimbabwe. Some qualitative interview and quantitative 5 point Likert scale questionnaires were used to gather the data concurrently before the data were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The HIS interoperability readiness survey was captured from responses made by 71 practitioners. The assessment was aimed at assessing factors which were healthcare practitioner readiness, technological infrastructure ownership readiness, policy readiness, core readiness and financial readiness. The findings presented indicate that healthcare practitioners and patients are ready to exist and function as part of an interoperable HIS although some enabling factors were identified in terms of policies needed to support its existence and functionality. Recommendations towards interoperability of HISs achievement were suggested.
Highlights
The creation of a unified healthcare ecosystems requires for the integration of various existing e-Health systems to create a seamless interoperable Health Information System (HIS) [1]
From the responses which emanated from medical doctors, the indication was that the practitioners were very comfortable and very willing to do medical practise in a collaborative environment fostered by Information Communication Technology (ICT) [23]
The research ascertained the interoperability readiness of healthcare practitioners to derive the readiness of healthcare sector in operating in an Interoperable Health Information System in Zimbabwe
Summary
The creation of a unified healthcare ecosystems requires for the integration of various existing e-Health systems to create a seamless interoperable Health Information System (HIS) [1]. For any Information Communication Technology (ICT) related solution adoption assessment, there is a need to identify the readiness of that particular society in accepting the technical solution through an e-readiness assessment [2]. The study aims to look at national readiness through measuring healthcare practitioners' personal readiness in utilising E-Health systems in an interoperable environment [3]. E-readiness is considered as the desire to obtain value possibilities from ICT that should be portrayed by the preparedness of a society or institution in anticipating positive results through usage of a technical product [4] [5]. This study focused on the idea of measuring the readiness of the healthcare practitioners in practising healthcare in an interoperable Health Information System (HIS) in Zimbabwe. The investigation interrogated the proposition of an interoperable technology solution for healthcare and provides an insight into the probability of achieving the desired state [6]
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