Evaluating health information systems-related errors using the human, organization, process, technology-fit...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Socio-technical Systems Analysis
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Complex health information systems (HIS) introduce unique error risks.
• Managing HIS-related errors is crucial for patient safety and system efficiency.
• Existing frameworks may not fully capture the socio-technical dimensions of HIS errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the management of health information systems (HIS)-related errors.
• To identify lessons learned using a proposed human, organization, process, and technology-fit framework.
• To provide guidance for clinical settings on managing HIS-related errors.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative case study methodology.
• Data collection through observation, interviews, and document analysis.
• Conducted at a 1000-bed Japanese specialist teaching hospital.

Main Results:

• Effective HIS error management involves continuous improvement, safety culture, strong leadership, communication, and feedback loops.
• System sophistication and process factors (workarounds, workload, miscommunication) enable medication errors.
• The proposed framework effectively guided the evaluation of HIS-related errors.

Conclusions:

• Socio-technical factors are key to managing HIS errors effectively.
• A systematic evaluation framework is essential for minimizing HIS-related errors.
• Optimizing socio-technical HIS components promotes safer system use and patient care.