Estimating the Impacts of Hospitals' Organisational and Geographical Characteristics on the Adoption of Health Information Technology in Mongolian Hospitals.

Sarnai Tsagaankhuu,Xinping Zhang,Turtushikh Damba,Enkhdulguun Amgalan,Jui-Yang Lai

doi:10.1155/2021/8836625

Abstract

Background The adoption of health information technology (HIT) is an important measure for improving healthcare quality and safety, which is affected by many hospital factors, but it has not yet been estimated in the Mongolian hospital sectors. This study examines how hospitals' organisational and geographical characteristics influence the adoption of HIT in Mongolian tertiary and secondary care hospitals. Methods А cross-sectional study involving the executive directors and medical equipment engineers was conducted in 39 hospitals. Data acquired from questionnaires are (1) hospitals' organisational and geographical characteristics, including bed-size capacity, ownership type, status, and location of the hospitals, and (2) the adoption rate of HIT, and its categories are based on the Health Information and Management Systems Society's classification (2002). The dependent variable was measured as numbers and the rate of HIT programs adopted clinical, administrative, and strategic information technologies (IT). A regression analysis was used to estimate the factors of impact on the adoption of clinical, administrative, and strategic IT. Results We found a concerning relationship between the characteristics and adoption of HITs. On average, the number of HIT programs adopted was 18, covering nine clinical IT programs, six administrative IT programs, and three strategic IT programs. The adoption rate of overall HIT was 33.29% in the hospitals. In regression analysis, the organisational and geographical characteristics' impact and HIT adoption of hospitals was positively associated with large bed-size (clinical IT: β = 0.256, P < 0.001; administrative IT: β = 0.3654, P < 0.001; strategic IT: β = 0.0006, P < 0.001), for-profit (strategic IT: β = 0.1995, P < 0.01), teaching (clinical IT: β = 0.2560, P < 0.05; administrative IT: β = 0.1985, P < 0.05; strategic IT: β = 0.2236, P < 0.01), and urban location (clinical IT: β = 0.2840, P < 0.001, administrative IT: β = 0.2256, P < 0.01; strategic IT: β = 0.2256, P < 0.001). Conclusion Our study found that the HIT adoption rate in Mongolia is poor, and its adoption is mainly positively associated with bed-size capacity, status, and location of the hospitals. Also, we found that the ownership type is partially affected HIT adoption.

Highlights

Health information technology (HIT) is an important tool for improving healthcare quality and patient safety [1]
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 39 hospitals by asking the executive directors and medical equipment engineers. e setting included 34 secondary care hospitals, which are district and provincial hospitals administered by an agency of district or provincial governments, and five tertiary care hospitals are owned by an agency of state that located in capital of Mongolia
Data acquired from questionnaires are (1) hospitals’ organisational and geographical characteristics, including bed-size capacity, ownership type, status and location of the hospitals and (2) the adoption rate of HIT, and its categories are based on the Health Information and Management Systems Society’s classification (2002). e dependent variable was measured as numbers and the rate of HIT programs that adopted clinical, administrative, and strategic information technologies (IT)

Summary

Introduction

Health information technology (HIT) is an important tool for improving healthcare quality and patient safety [1]. E system consists of two tiers: primary and referral level care. Primary level care is delivered by family health centre, soum (a country subdivision) health centre, and Journal of Healthcare Engineering inter-soum hospitals. People who seek medical attention first go to primary level care, and in case the sickness could not be diagnosed or treated, they would go to referral level care which provides specialized care. Secondary and tertiary care facilities provide the referral level care in Mongolia. If secondary care hospital could not provide a healthcare, patients have to seek medical services from tertiary care hospital. Tertiary care hospitals provide high level of multispecialty care in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar [3, 4].

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Conclusion