Developing a clinical information system: an interpretive case analysis within a UK hospital

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Information Systems Research
• Organizational Studies

Background:

• The development of clinical information systems (CIS) is critical for modern healthcare.
• Existing literature distinguishes between formal-rational and interpretive perspectives on IT impacts.
• Understanding organizational realities is key to successful IT implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the development of a CIS within a UK hospital setting.
• To evaluate the applicability of formal-rational versus interpretive approaches to CIS development.
• To identify challenges in systems analysis that do not align with organizational realities.

Main Methods:

• An interpretive case analysis approach was adopted.
• A literature review was conducted on IT impact perspectives.
• A case study of CIS development in a UK hospital was presented.

Main Results:

• Formal systems analysis techniques were found to be insufficient.
• Organizational realities within the hospital were not adequately reflected by formal methods.
• Issues arose suggesting a mismatch between planned systems and actual use.

Conclusions:

• An interpretive perspective offers valuable insights into CIS development.
• Systems development must account for complex organizational dynamics.
• The study underscores the limitations of purely formal approaches in healthcare IT.