Planning for information systems in small or rural hospitals

The preparation for the upgrading and/or replacement of any information system should be conducted properly. The proper analysis should lead to a clear and concise statement of the specific needs of the hospital for information gathering, storage and retrieval. This in turn provides the information needed to go into the market and obtain satisfactory equipment at a reasonable price that will accommodate the needs of the hospital. The preparation time should more than pay for itself in the long run. This is absolutely critical for the typical small and rural hospital.