When health information systems fail

The failure of health care information systems is a topic of critical importance for information management professionals. Such failure is also important for the consumers of health services who rely on the informed activity of health care workers for their well-being. This article presents case studies of two information systems projects within the British National Health Service that are generally viewed as having failed. The article provides an analysis of these failures, and examines whether the British National Health Service is particularly prone to the phenomenon of information systems failure.