Perceptions of Physicians Regarding Implementation of Hospital Management Information Systems in a Tertiary Setting Hospital of a Developing Country

Background Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) are being adopted increasingly in tertiary hospitals in developing countries like Pakistan, with the aim of improving physician and patient convenience. However, the perception of healthcare professionals regarding HMIS should be thoroughly assessed in order to achieve effective utilization and implementation of this system. Objective To assess the perception of physicians regarding the newly implemented HMIS in a tertiary setting hospital in Pakistan. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in all the departments of Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital (GTTH), Lahore. Total 145 physicians of varying specialty units, fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were included and data were collected over a span of six months between July 2020 and December 2020. Data was collected by using a structured questionnaire. The SPSS software version 22 was used for data analysis. Results are presented in the form of frequencies and tables. Results The sample population consisted of 80 males (55.2%) and 65 females (44.8%), with the majority of the respondents having 1-5 years of clinical experience. Of the total, 61.4% (n = 89) knew about the term HMIS, while 71.7% (n = 104) of participants responded that no formal training was provided to them before the implementation of HMIS. Overall, 77.9% of respondents agreed that formal training should have been conducted before the implementation of this system. In total, 77.2% of respondents considered the ease to review patients’ history (ERPH) as the biggest advantage of HMIS, while 54.5% considered being paper-free (PF), and 53.1% considered facilitation of data analysis (FDA) as the next two major advantages. As for the disadvantages, 75.9% of respondents considered HMIS to be more time-consuming (TC) and 57.2% considered it to be a hindrance to smooth running (HSR) of clinical work in case of overloading of patients. Conclusions While implementation of HMIS was found to have significant advantages in the opinion of physicians, such as ease in reviewing patients' medical records, data analysis, and providing paperless patient care, it should nevertheless be preceded by formal training of all physicians regarding its use. Many physicians consider HMIS to be more TC, especially in circumstances where the patient load is overwhelming.