155944 On the Determinants of the Value of Enterprise-Wide Health Information Systems

Tuesday, November 6, 2007: 8:30 AM

Edward Mensah, PhD , Public Health Informatics Program-Health Policy and Administration Division, University of Illinois @ Chicago, Chicago, IL
Fatima Suleman, PhD , School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Dennis Cesarotti, PhD , Assistant Professor, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, DeKalb, IL
        
Title: On the Determinants of the Value of Enterprise-Wide Health Information Systems

Information technology has revolutionized the operations of major industries such as banking, manufacturing and transportation, introducing efficiencies and improving productivity. The healthcare industry, while lagging behind other industrial sectors in investments in information technology, has recently devoted large sums of money to investments in health decision support systems and improvements in health information infrastructure. The aim of the recent surge of investments in health information technology is to improve the efficiency of clinical and public health practices as well as the cost-effective management and delivery of health services. However, very little is known about how health workers value investments in health information technology and its impact on work practices. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) introduced a DOS-based health information and decision support system in 1997 to facilitate the delivery of services to clients enrolled in multiple maternal and child health programs and community-based youth service programs. Due to the complexity of the health services delivery programs the IDHS recently migrated certain programs from DOS-based architecture to web-based technology named eCornerstone. The aim of the migration to an enterprise-wide decision support system is to optimize the efficiency of service delivery, improve client satisfaction, and reduce costs of operation. How do workers perceive the value of the new enterprise-wide system? While there are numerous studies on the factors influencing the value of information systems in industries such as banking and manufacturing there are very few studies on determinants of the value of health information systems from users' perspectives. This study is an attempt to improve our knowledge of the value of health information systems. The results of the study will be utilized in improving the design and development of health decision support systems.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the session participants will be able to: 1. formulate models for determining the value of enterprise-wide health information and decision support systems; 2. discuss the determinants of success and failure of health information systems; 3. discuss the benefits of intergrated health information infrastructure.

Keywords: Health Management Information Systems, Health Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Innovations in Health Information Technology
See more of: Health Informatics Information Technology