Abstract/Summary

Information Systems adoption is an area of focus for business change and transformation where innovative technologies and procedures provide perceived benefits to the organisation. However, the impact of Information Systems adoption, use and factors contributing to Information System success, alongside failures in a healthcare context is an area in need of further critical, empirical research. This study investigates the role and evolution of a health Information System in various organisational contexts to reveal the issues in adoption, the factors contributing to unintended use, and the impact of policy and design intention on Information System success. A longitudinal study was conducted into the human-information aspects in four cases within the National Health Service, to understand the changing sentiment towards a national health Information System in the context of emerging policy and design events. Analysis showed the importance of Information Systems adoptability, purposefulness and acceptance, and key barriers to adoption in the gap between clinical and administrative use versus intended use. Boundary work and effective feedback were identified as important components in addressing social aspects conveying policy and design intentions, and expectation setting in awareness practice across the interface between organisations, people, and Information System. User satisfaction emerged as a significant factor contributing to Information System success. Finally, an evaluation framework and conceptual model is proposed for the identification of factors contributing to Information System success. The findings from this study can be applied to socio-technical issues in the context of policy and design change in a national healthcare Information System, with the view of making continuous improvement leading to Information System adoption and success while simultaneously identifying and reducing factors that lead to failure.