摘要
The focus of this study was to examine the technology improvements in a small rural hospital preparing to implement the first two stages of Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health （HITECH） [ 1 ] in their organization. The existing hospital organization＇s health information technology （HIT） is on a continuum between a traditional system and one that can support evidence-based clinical decisions. A methodology based on hierarchy and experience, is routine and relies upon trial, and error is a traditional approach [2]. Prior experience with Electronic Health Records/Health Information Management Systems （EHR/HIMS） improvements in this hospital lacked a systematic evidence-based approach leading to inoperability and security concerns. Future improvements include adoption of nationally recognized standards for HIT protocols and planning incorporates a process to test improvements and upgrades with feedback from end-users prior to initiating full scale operations.
