Methods for evaluating hospital information systems: a literature review

Purpose – It is widely accepted that the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the healthcare sector offers great potential for improving the quality of services provided, the efficiency and effectiveness of personnel, and also reducing organizational expenses. This paper seeks to examine various hospital information system (HIS) evaluation methods. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper a comprehensive search of the literature concerning the evaluation of complex health information systems is conducted and used to generate a synthesis of the literature around evaluation efforts in this field. Three approaches for evaluating hospital information systems are presented – user satisfaction, usage, and economic evaluation. Findings – The main results are that during the past decade, computers and information systems, as well as their resultant products, have pervaded hospitals worldwide. Unfortunately, methodologies to measure the various impacts of these systems have not evolved at the same pace. To summarize, measurement of users' satisfaction with information systems may be the most effective evaluation method in comparison with the rest of the methods presented. Practical implications – The methodologies, taxonomies and concepts presented in this paper could benefit researchers and practitioners in the evaluation of HISs. Originality/value – This review points out the need for more thorough evaluations of HISs that look at a wide range of factors that can affect the relative success or failure of these systems.