The process for selecting and acquiring an organization health care information system
Today’s information briefing identifies the process for selecting and acquiring a healthcare information system, the roles of every stakeholder, and how an organizational goal affects the selection and acquisition processes. The management of any health care organization in the current society is paramount to its achievement. Therefore, with the ever-changing society coupled with the emergence of complex health problems, people have begun to question the affordability, availability, and management of the healthcare sectors as well as how and where to find those with the best services-information system. Organizational goals and their stakeholders can coerce the choice and acquisitions of an information system by improving the problematic one and/or obtaining a newer system. Health care industries should, not only refurbish their systems but also continue to upgrade or replace them if necessary to meet the demands of the clients.
First, the process for selecting and acquiring an information system involves assessing the need for change in the system. The organization establishes a project committee and appoints a project manager to oversee the work. The members should possess diverse skills in identifying various needs of the organization, examining the existing situation, and using it as a base to develop a method that explores the kinds of information systems worth for the organization (Fitzgerald, 1998, p. 19). During the research, all members should fully comprehend the system before its presentation to the organization’s stakeholders. For instance, they should even request the system designer to demonstrate vividly how all aspects of the system operate, training the personnel besides daily functions before the execution of the system.
Second, the process involves implementation. The organization should delineate the project objectives, plans, expectations, and scope of analysis. This phase is vital as it provides the plan, the execution, and the expected quantity of work. The stakeholders must accomplish these infinite tasks and aspects for proper implementation of the system on time and within planned resources (Olegas, & Algis, 2006, p. 230). The team estimates the total expected expenditure on the execution and successfully running the system for the stakeholders to implement. However, any health care organization must address behavioral issues and carefully analyze the market trends and any dealer’s profiles if available.
Third, after the objects have been established, the organization put together a formal tender and send it out to receive information from which evaluations are made. Otherwise, ‘‘many organizations refer to this process as a request for information (RFI)’’ (Maria, & Sofia, 2009, p. 45). The tender committee identifies the best bidder who will then receive the proposal from the organization and prepares to supply the health care system. The steps assist the organization in making the right decisions when implementing the new health care information system.
The roles of each stakeholder of the organization in the selection and acquisition process
Peoples’ decisions and activities provide the recipe for the proper operation of a new Information System. The main purpose of such systems is to advance the goals and tasks of the organization. However, it is difficult to choose the right healthcare system especially if the stakeholders are not involved. According to Olegas and Algis (2006, p. 232), ‘‘each of these stakeholders is vital to successfully care for patients in an expert, efficient, and cost-effective manner’’. The stakeholders are either primary or secondary.
Primary stakeholders comprise nurses, clinical officers, physicians, and the senior management team. They influence the daily operation of the health care organization because they have a direct stake in the health care industry. Primary stakeholders may also include other staff dedicated to the project by providing resources needed to implement the system (Fitzgerald, 1998, p. 23). They have a fundamental role in providing theoretical, technical, and financial support in the section and acquisition of the new information system. Since they are members of the project committee, they should ensure that they invest in the right healthcare system, which not only benefits the organization but also impacts positively on all the stakeholders. Primary stakeholders are the implementers of the new healthcare information system.
During the execution process, the organization should have significant support from the secondary stakeholders. Secondary stakeholders may include researchers, government officials, or patients. They are stakeholders that have either a public or special interest venture in the health care organization. The new healthcare information system, which the organization is trying to implement, relies on feedback from the secondary stakeholders (Maria, & Sofia, 2009, p. 49). Therefore, such stakeholders play a critical role in the selection and acquisition process of the information system by providing a report on the capacity of the healthcare information system’s quality and standards. Stakeholders engrossed in the implementation ensure that the new information system is the best option for the entire organization.
Ways in which the organization’s goals drive the selection of an information system
First, the goal of the organization influences the selection and acquisition of the health care system by providing the foundation for implementation. Choosing the right information system in any organization can be tricky. However, by taking time to examine the goals of the organization and proper research, the healthcare industry can improve its services. The goals of the organization are the motivating factors in the implementation of the new health information system (Fitzgerald, 1998, p. 16). For instance, if the goals of the healthcare organization are to reduce healthcare errors as well as to expand and or investigate new treatments, then the organization has to acquire a healthcare information system that will assist it in accomplishing the goals. In addition, stakeholders should influence the organization to see a need in such areas, which an information system can help thereby buying the information system to address those needs.
Second, the goals ensure that there is the involvement of all the stakeholders during the selection and acquisition of the health care system. The involvement of the stakeholders will foster and maintain good working relationships because they have to go through the entire implementation process. The goals provide a basic understanding acting as an umbrella within the organization such that it exposes the stakeholders to a new level of opportunities (Maria, & Sofia, 2009, p. 47). For an organization to move forward, it needs the support of, not only the stakeholders but also the laid down goals to give a sense of direction. Since implementing a new healthcare information system is a challenging task for the organization, it must select those systems, which can assist in accomplishing the goals of the organization.
Healthcare organizations should stay advanced with the latest trends in technology, which can provide the best care to the patients. Both public and private healthcare sectors should support projects aimed at improving the use of healthcare information systems and creating linkages among diverse sources of healthcare information from national to local level to make services qualitative and affordable for all.
Reference List
Fitzgerald, G. (1998). Evaluating Information Systems Projects: A Multidimensional Approach. Journal of Information Technology, 13(1), 15-27.
Maria, M., & Sofia, Z. (2009). Advantages of Information Systems in Health Services. Sport Management International Journal (SMIJ), 5(2), 44-53.
Olegas, V., & Algis, S. (2006). Evaluation of Information Systems Procurement: Goal And Task-driven Approaches. Information Technology and Control, 35(3), 229-233.