How to Evaluate IT Efficiency Investments in Healthcare Management
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has made available a comprehensive workbook assisting suppliers in getting a grip on the real cost and benefits an IT investment provides.
The guidebook walks IT efficiency project managers through the procedure of establishing project goals, including what facets of the technology will need to be measured and how. It also volunteers suggested measures to evaluate, such as preventable adverse drug issues and medication
It likewise proposes illustrations of particular technologies, such as computerized supplier order entry and picture archiving and communication systems, with recommendations of how to assess each.
In addition to project-specific advice about how to appraise the impact of IT projects, AHRQ also gives general research strategy tips, such as advocating that IT staff members perform both statistical and open-ended (qualitative) research. For instance, although statistical analyses can measure inoculation rates and approximate changes post implementation of a reminder system, they might not show how clinicians really feel about employing the automated inoculation reminders, the writers note.
To discover more of the AHRQ’s advice:
- read the report <here> (.pdf)
