Avoiding pitfalls when implementing local area networks in hospital environments

This paper is intended to outline some of the most commonly encountered, but yet still underestimated pitfalls during the implementation of computer systems networks in hospitals and health care institutions and to give information technology planners and responsibles some practical hints for avoiding them. Pitfalls encountered during the difficult process of achieving consensus among all groups concerned on the necessity for electronic data processing in health care institutions will not be addressed here [1], though the authors believe that some major risks for project failure stem from shortcomings in this field. Instead, those pitfalls encountered during project initialization and project realization with the phases of analysis, design, contracting, installation, and maintenance will be discussed. The paper concludes with the authors' opinion that only the application of industry-proven project management and realization techniques will allow health care administrators to cope with the steadily increasing risks for failure of information technology projects in health care.