PROCESS ORIENTATED INFORMATION SYSTEMS: SRI LANKAN HEALTHCARE SECTOR

Abstract

With a rapidly increasing aged population, exponential growth in non-communicable diseases and significant migration of the healthcare workers, the challenges faced by the healthcare sector are immense. The sector is currently inundated with a variety of service delivery issues ranging from clinical to administrative and it is important to investigate how the quality of service can be improved. It is evident that 18%-20% of the problems of the sector are due to lack of information either of the patient, procedure or of previous care episodes. The study investigates the internal process orientation of the organization, extent to which information systems have been used in the business processes and the interaction of the external stakeholders with the information system. A process oriented approach discusses the evolution of information systems while ensuring that the compliance and regulatory measures are taken in to consideration. The study is unique as it investigates the existing information systems in 20 private sector healthcare organizations in the western province employing an all seeing view of the organizations. The original contribution of this qualitative study stems from the fact that it ascertains the feasibility of consolidation among heterogeneous information systems.  The study concludes the necessity of the external participation in terms of information compliance as a motivator to facilitate process oriented information systems in the sector.

Keywords: Business Process Management, Healthcare Compliance, Health Information Systems, Quality of Care

For full paper: fmscresearch@sjp.ac.lk