Implementation Processes of Hospital Information Management Systems: A Field Study in Turkey

Abstract

Our aim is to reflect our experience of developing and implementing of an integrated Hospital Information Management System (HIMS), its financing contributions, technical and managerial challenges and key designing and planning factors. Following the strategic planning stage, HIMS was implemented into the hospital. Key issues were observed, total training hours and satisfaction levels of staff were followed year by year. Number of patients, surgeries and total income of the hospital were analysed. Cessation of printing radiology films, paper and manpower earnings were calculated. After the implementation of HIMS, total income of the hospital increased 37% in the first year. Total financial savings (paper printing, radiology films and manpower) as a result of HIMS implementation were approximately US$ 1.34[Formula: see text]million. HIMS prevents losses and leakages of medical materials, medicines and unnecessary processes in healthcare institutions. For an appropriate implementation of HIMS, healthcare managers should lend priority to seven critical design and implementation issues: (1) effective accessibility, (2) interoperability and integration, (3) ease of use (4) improvement of the quality of processes (5) centralised administration, (6) privacy and digital security, (7) precautions against resistance to IT.