Ranking and selecting hospital information systems: A multi-criteria decision making approach using TOPSIS in...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Information Systems Management
• Healthcare Administration

Background:

• Effective Hospital Information Systems (HIS) are crucial for modern healthcare delivery.
• Evaluating and comparing HIS is essential for optimizing hospital operations and patient care.
• Teaching hospitals require robust HIS to support education, research, and clinical services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and rank three major HIS (PARDAZESHGARAN, SAYAN, RAYAVARAN) in teaching hospitals affiliated with Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.
• To identify the most effective HIS based on key performance criteria.
• To provide a framework for HIS selection and implementation in similar healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was utilized.
• Eight key criteria were assessed: technical quality, software quality, support quality, workflow support quality, output quality, cost, user satisfaction, and interdepartmental communication quality.
• The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method, with expert-defined criterion weights, was employed for ranking.

Main Results:

• Cost and output quality were identified as the most significant criteria, receiving the highest weights.
• The PARDAZESHGARAN HIS was ranked first.
• SAYAN and RAYAVARAN HIS were ranked second and third, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The PARDAZESHGARAN HIS emerged as the preferred system among the evaluated options in this specific context.
• The study highlights the importance of cost and output quality in HIS evaluation.
• Findings offer valuable insights for healthcare institutions in Iran and similar regions when selecting and implementing HIS, though sample size limitations warrant consideration.