Building a Hospital Information System: Design Considerations

A number of research and development projects in the U.S. and in Europe have shown that novel technologies can open significant perspectivesfor hospital information systems (HIS). The selection of software products for a HIS, however, is still nontrivial. Generalist vendors promise a broad scope offunctionality and integration, while specialist vendors promise elaborated and highly adaptedfunctionality. In 1997, the university hospital Marburg, a 1,250 bed teaching hospital, decided to introduce a new large-scale HIS. The objectives ofthe project included support of clinical workflows, cost effectiveness anda maximum standard ofmedical care. In 1997/98 a formal Europe-wide vendor contest was performed. 15 vendors, including severalfrom the U.S., participated Systems were checked against the hospital's objectives, functionality, and technological criteria One ofthe results ofboth technology and market assessment was the identification offundamental technological and design aspects strongly influencing functionality and flexibility.