User Experience on a New Medical Supplies Management Information System at The National Hospital of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction: The new Medical Supplies Management Information System (MSMIS), an e-based logistics management system was implemented in 2023 by the Medical Supplies Division of the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka to effectively manage medical supplies among state healthcare institutions across the island. The new system replaced the previous MSMIS to incorporate wider aspects of supply chain management on par with the changing environment. Methods: It was a mixed-method descriptive study conducted at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in 2023. A survey was done with the help of a tailor-made tool (5-point Likert scale) among all the users of MSMIS at NHSL. Key information interviews and observational visits were done to complement the quantitative findings. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the experiences of users in the new MSMIS by comparing it with the previous one at the NHSL. Results: More than 60% of respondents (n=21) were found to have negative or highly negative experiences with all ten components of the system evaluated. The composite mean score of overall experience was 2.17(SD=0.56). The qualitative data fortified the findings of the quantitative data. Conclusion: The majority of MSMIS users at the NHSL had a negative experience with the new MSMIS in comparison with the previous system. Recommendation: It is recommended for similar studies on a larger scale (regional/national) to produce findings with fewer concerns for validity and reliability.