Evaluation of Radiology and Pathology Subsystems of Hospital Information Systems

Background & Aims: Compliance with standards of designing information systems leads to efficient utilization and ease of use for consumers. In this study, the compliance of the radiology and pathology subsystems of a hospital information system with ISO 9241 section 12 was assessed in selected hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: This applied research is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. In this study, the radiology and pathology subsystems of hospital information systems were evaluated in 8 hospitals based on ISO 9241 section 12. Data was collected by researchers, during winter 2012, using ISO 9241/12 checklist, and then, it was assessed by hospital information technology administrators. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using descriptive statistics. Results: The analysis of data showed that the compliance of the software with information organization was 74.6%, with graphic tools 100%, and with coding techniques 47.2%. The total compliance of the software with the ISO 9241/12 was 73.9%. Conclusion: According to this study, the design of widely used hospital information systems has fairly good compliance with standards, but still suffers from some issues. Considering the role of accurate, valid, and timely information in decision making, policymaking, and management of hospitals, it is necessary that software developers follow standards when designing information systems