Authors
1 PhD Student, Health Information Management, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD Student, Health Information Management, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Information technology might have some potential effects, such as influencing
treatment process, rate and easiness of information retrieval, and information availability for
making clinical decisions based on conditions and management, educational and research activities on health service systems. Recognizing these effects can be concerned as a foundation to strategic planning in order to improve the approaches of health system and finally to improve general
health among the society.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the first half of 2009. It survived the viewpoints of 301 individuals selected by classified sampling method from the staff
members of Beheshti Hospital in Kashan toward the influence of information technology on
health system. A researcher-developed questionnaire including items about the effects of information technology on treatment, training, research and administrative process. Then the data was
analyzed by using descriptive and analytical statistical indices in SPSS15.
Results: The study population included 34.9% females and 65.1% males in all clinical and administrative groups. Based on the average score of 365.5, the subjects viewed information technology to have positive effects on the improvement of health level. In addition, the participants
evaluated the influence of information technology on increasing the efficiency, decreasing costs
and increasing the rate of detection and treatment procedures with average desired scores of
464.1, 311.3 and 434.2, respectively.
Conclusion: The positive opinions of our population obviously show the appropriate base and
background to execute and develop information technology in that hospital. Thus, some initial
steps must be taken to develop the health information system and to achieve electronic files of
patients. To do this, problems and barriers of the application of these technologies must be recognized and some actions should be taken for a correct budgeting and to develop a standard protocol in order to facilitate health information service network.
Keywords
)