Acquiring a Health Information System

The process of a selecting a system can vary greatly from organization to organization; nevertheless, there are certain fundamental steps that must be taken and certain considerations that must be addressed as part of any systems acquisition. The selection process takes on additional complexity within the health care arena, where the systems acquired by an organization directly impact the work of its clinicians and administrative staff, which in turn affects the care of its patients.

Prepare for this Discussion as follows:

• Read Case Study 7, "Implementing a Telemedicine Solution" on pages 609-611 in the course text,Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management.
 
• Select one of the three high-priority areas identified in the case (e.g., radiology, behavioral health, and intensive care) to focus on. Consider the questions given at the end of the case study, and in addition, think about ways you would apply principles from the Learning Resources to this management challenge.

A response to the following:
 
• In the first line of your posting, identify the high-priority area you selected for this assignment.
 
• If you were charged with bringing telemedicine to Grand Hospital within the next 12-18 months, what first steps would you take toward system acquisition?
 
• Focusing in particular on radiology, behavioral health, or intensive care, what considerations would you be most concerned about addressing and why?
 
• Who would you involve in the planning process and why?
 
• Describe a key role of governance in this process.