Essential Factors for Adopting Hospital Information System During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Palestine رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Improvements to HIS must be made to help with workflow and patient treatment by introducing new knowledge to adapt and change toward one direction; which is the best to health issues. Although Palestine has quickly and effectively responded to the outbreak of COVID-19, the hospital's health information systems in dealing with Covid-19 patients require more research. This is the first time, as far as the researcher knows, such a study worldwide handles the Covid-19, HIS, and hospitals all together for creating creative solutions for particular health diseases. The primary purpose of this research is to explore the perceptions of HIS users on the essential factors affecting adoption. It also aims at updating or upgrading HIS systems during the COVID-19 pandemic in government and non-governmental hospitals. It is vital to understand the tools used in HIS hospitals and the acceptance of patients and hospital manager boards, reacting to these computerized platforms to enhance patient treatment and deal with the patient record. Methods of the Study This study covered ten governments and thirty governmental and non-governmental hospitals in Palestine. Data was collected by mixed methods, quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews). The two tools were used to obtain information needed from Direct Managers, Staff, and IT managers. A total number of (212) questionnaires was received. The researcher employed a cross-sectional approach in this thesis, simultaneously gathering data from many locations. Moreover, interviews were conducted between 6/11/2021 and 11/1/2022. Qualitative questions were discussed with the 15 participants. The researcher analyzed and understood the Palestinian hospital's systems for two types: health information systems (HIS) VI and non-electronic systems. Tests used for the analysis were T-test, Anova, p-value (0.05). The essential factors of organizational factors (e.g., Support from Senior Management), environmental factors (e.g., Government and Competitors' Pressure), and technology factors (e.g. Compatibility, Security and Safety) and its relationship with adopting HIS during COVID-19 were analyzed. Results A total number of (211) questionnaires out of (212) the total number of questionnaires received. The research sample is 30 hospitals, 29 visited (97%). Hospitals are separated (Hospital Type) into 18 Public hospitals (60%), 6 Private hospitals (20%), and 5 NGO hospitals (17%). One hospital was not visited (3%). For the 29 hospitals (Current HIS ’Name’), the researcher found that 15 (52%) hospitals use ‘MOH Purchase’ HIS, and 6 (21%) hospitals use ‘Purchase’ HIS. Finally, 8(28%) hospitals use ‘Manual’ HIS. The study found that essential factors affecting adopting HIS were organizational factors with sig value (0.072), environmental factors with sig value (0.041), and technology factors with sig value (0.011). All parameters influence the adoption of HIS in the face of Covid-19 ,which is best applied to government-run hospitals. Conclusion This study is the first study in Palestine that highlights the urgent need to link all hospitals and HIS together to stand against Covid-19. In the same fashion, linking them helps improve the hospital's compatibility with the HIS adoption and usage against Covid-19 and raises the level of all staff training of complete HIS use to understand the technology factors better. Must connect the HIS program with Government strategic plans, which will be the MOH orders. VII This is one of the best ways to gain people's trust. Finally, the researcher recommends conducting a study on the impact of the essential factors of hospitals on a large scale in Palestine or other countries. It is worth mentioning that the number of factors mentioned in this study is seven factors