Success or failure of hospital information systems of public hospitals affiliated with Zahedan University of Medical Sciences: A cross sectional study in the Southeast of Iran

Introduction: After implementation, evaluation of hospital information systems (HISs) is critical to ensure the fulfillment of the system goals. This study aimed to assess the success or failure of HISs in public hospitals affiliated with Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study was performed in 2016. The study population comprised IT and HIS authorities and hospital information system users. The sample consisted of 468 participants. The data were collected using two questionnaires and analyzed with the SPSS software using descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: The mean score of functional, behavioral, ethical, organizational, cultural and educational factors from the users' perspective was 3.14 +/- 0.66, 2.97 +/- 0.60, 3.39 +/- 0.70, 2.96 +/- 0.642, 3.09 +/- 0.63, and 2.95 +/- 0.74, respectively. The mean score of organizational, behavioral, cultural, technological, educational and legal factors from IT and HIS authorities' perspective was 3.51 +/- 0.54, 3.35 +/- 0.45, 2.75 +/- 0.61, 3.58 +/- 0.32, and 3.96 +/- 0.59, respectively. Conclusions: The evaluated hospital information systems were considered relatively successful in terms of functional, ethical, and cultural factors but were considered as a relative failure in terms of behavioral, organizational, and educational factors form the users' perspective. Only the legal factor showed success, while organizational, behavioral, technical and educational factors showed relative success and the cultural factor showed relative failure from HIS and IT authorities' perspective. Therefore, assessing the users' needs before implementing the system, involving them in various stages of implementation, training them, and improving their computer skills seem to be necessary to achieve a better level of system success.