The SAPPHIRE toolkit: an interactive system for the evaluation of primary healthcare computing

Since April 1992, the SAPPHIRE Project (Systems Accreditation Project in Primary Healthcare Informatics Requirements and Evaluations) has been funded by the Department of Health in the United Kingdom with the goal of providing a framework for the fair and objective evaluation of General Medical Practice (GMP) computer systems [1]. SAPPHIRE is comprised of three 'facets': A comprehensive specification list for GMP information systems. An Assessment methodology to apply the SAPPHIRE specifications. The Integrated Toolkit. The SAPPHIRE Integrated Toolkit has been developed as an interactive computer-based guide for use in the processes of GMP system procurement and education. By integrating the two other 'facets' of SAPPHIRE, it provides a means of matching a set of user-defined specifications against the systems under consideration. This is achieved by enabling the Toolkit user to interactively weight the presented SAPPHIRE specifications to their individual requirements and then match this weighted specification against a database of benchtest results for available systems. The output from this matching process then gives the range of systems which most clearly meet that particular user's needs as well as highlighting the areas where systems fail to meet their defined requirements. Since the SAPPHIRE specification list is a lengthy document comprised of technical language, the Toolkit uses a range of browsing models to display the specifications in accessible ways to the end-user. These browsing models present the specifications in contexts that are familiar to the everyday experience of healthcare employees and hence are easy to access and understand. In addition, the Toolkit offers a 'Quick Route Questionnaire' which accesses a shortcut to the matching process described above. his presentation will demonstrate the main functions of the Toolkit and outline specific scenarios of use. Another area of discussion will be the approach of the SAPPHIRE Project to the problems and issues of computer system evaluation, with reference to the Toolkit in a communications context, assisting in the transfer of understanding between the technical language of system designers and suppliers and the healthcare professional, who may lack computer expertise [2]. The SAPPHIRE Toolkit has a wide range of applications for facilitating the procurement of, and the education processes entailed in, primary healthcare computing. We view the Toolkit as a potential benefit to many aspects of the healthcare profession, including General Practice, Surgery, Healthcare IT Administration, and Information System Supply and Management.