Implementing IT in NHS hospitals - internal barriers to technological advancement Online publication date: Tue, 01-Jul-2003
by Paul Walley, Carol Davies
International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management (IJHTM), Vol. 4, No. 3/4, 2002
Abstract: There remains an ambitious objective to develop high specification Hospital Information Systems within the UK National Health Service, but progress has been slow. Successful implementation requires both effective project management and process change. The literature already acknowledges the difficult environment that healthcare IT projects operate within. This paper uses a longitudinal case study to examine the presence or absence of critical success factors in an NHS Hospital, for both the implementation and operationalisation of technology. The findings suggest that external factors are not the only reason for the slow introduction and limited impact of new technology. Internal barriers that significantly limit the implementation process include an unsupportive organisation structure, irreconcilable differences in stakeholder requirements, the low status of the project team, a poor understanding of process management issues and organisation politics.
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