The main lessons learned from the development of an integrated public health information system for Missouri includes “the importance of executive sponsorship, tension between efficiency and program accountability, importance of confidentiality, and difficulties of funding an integrated system” (Land, Stokes, Hoffman et al., 1995, p. 48).
First, it should be realized that for an information system to successfully be implemented, it isn’t enough to just implement the technical and technology aspects of a project; rather, it will also require a change in organizational culture and this is where executive support is necessary. More particularly, the successful implementation of an information system will require some changes in organizational culture and behavior (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). For example, the old system consisted of disparate systems, each of which was managed by categorical program managers. In this case, each program manager protected their own data. However, with the new system, a more inclusive behavior is necessary where members of the entire public health administration office should be responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the data being entered into the system. To encourage this behavioral change, it is important for the higher level managers to model the desired behavior. They should also be able to exhibit open-mindedness towards the changes that will occur and they should be able to show that the initiative has their buy-in. This will reassure the members of the organization that the new initiatives are in alignment with the public health administration’s strategic objectives and that these changes will be for the entire administration’s benefit in the end.
In addition, it should be noted that although efficiency is one of the main goals behind the initiative, a good public health information system is not a “one-size fits all” kind of system that can be used uniformly across the organization. For example, the information system should consider the sources of categorical funding that are used for the various public health services provided. This would enable accountability for certain tasks to be easily traced. This can also aid in the resolution of liability issues that concern public health (Hodge, n.d.). However, this also implies that the integration of the information systems require some customizations, which means additional complexity for the project.
As well, the implementation of an integrated public health information system must ensure that system data is kept confidential. In particular, it should be ensured that the information system is designed such that it conforms to the rules and regulations imposed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPAA) (United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2003). In addition, the employees of the Public Health Administration office must be provided with the necessary training to ensure that they are able to use the system without compromising the security and confidentiality of the data and to ensure that they fully understand what they can and cannot do as far as government regulations are concerned.
Finally, it should be taken into consideration that with an initiative as massive as the integration of public health information systems, it is necessary for the government to allocate adequate funding for these projects. Especially with the nearing launch of ObamaCare, it is important that the government include the implementation of public health information systems in their budgetary considerations in order to ensure a smooth transition into the new healthcare program.
References
Hodge, J. G. (n.d.). Mass care/Fatality workshop. Arizona State University. Retrieved from
http://www.hcphes.org/PublicEngagementPandemic/PDF/LegalIssuesinPublicHealthEme
rgenciesHodges.pdf.
Land, G. H., Stokes, C., Hoffman, N., Peterson, R. & Weiler, M. J. (1995). Developing an
integrated public health information system for Missouri. Journal of Public Health
Management Practice, 48-56.
Laudon, K. C. & Laudon, J. P. (2012). Managing information systems: Managing the digital firm
(12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
United States Department of Health & Human Services. (2003, May). OCR privacy brief:
Summary of the HIPAA privacy rule. Retrieved from
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/privacysummary.pdf.
