USABILITY OF HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN CLINICAL WORK PHYSICIAN’S PERSPECTIVE

Usability of Hospital Management System

Abstract

Objective: To assess effectiveness of hospital management system in clinical work in military hospitals: physicians’ perspective.
Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Military hospitals of Rawalpindi, from Apr 2013 to Jun 2014.
Material and Methods: Sample selected through convenient non probability sampling. Sixty-one (61) physicians in clinical work: 23 (38%) specialists and 38 (62%), Health Care Administrators (HCAs) were included in the study. Tools used were questionnaire, interviews, think aloud protocol, log book analysis and chart reviews.
Results: More than 50% of respondents agreed that hospital management system in clinical setting lacks appropriate attributes. System is not customized to the needs of each specialty and doesn’t support the continuity of care. It does not support evidence based decision making since it lacks clinical decision support system. Majority of physicians expect their clinical HMS to provide better support for collecting statistics for research. Most respondents agreed that HMS often diverts attention away from the patients and physicians “worked around” the system due to number of cofounders like lack of time, increased number of patients. Chart review revealed majority did not add alerts.
Conclusion: This study has highlighted a significant number of usability issues which are on one hand lessening the effectiveness and efficiency of this system; while at the other hand leading to user frustration. These findings call for usability evaluations at all levels and the subsequent redesign of HMS application leading to a usercentered design which is effective in providing physicians with key functionalities which support physician’s tasks and improve patient care.