Summary
Objectives: Reference models describing typical information processing requirements in hospitals
do not currently exist. This leads to high hospital information system (HIS) management
expenses, for example, during tender processes for the acquisition of software application
programs. Our aim was, therefore, to develop a comprehensive, lasting, technology-independent,
and sufficiently detailed index of requirements for information processing in hospitals
in order to reduce respective expenses.
Methods: Two-dozen German experts established an index of requirements for information processing
in university hospitals. This was done in a consensus-based, top-down, cyclic manner.
Each functional requirement was derived from information processing functions and
sub-functions of a hospital.
Results: The result is the first official German version of a requirements index, containing
233 functional requirements and 102 function-independent requirements, focusing on
German needs. The functional requirements are structured according to the primary
care process from admission to discharge and supplemented by requirements for handling
patient records, work organization and resource planning, hospital management, research
and education. Both the German version and its English translation are available in
the Internet.
Conclusions: The index of requirements contains general information processing requirements in
hospitals which are formulated independent of information processing tools, or of
HIS architectures. It aims at supporting HIS management, especially HIS strategic
planning, HIS evaluation, and tender processes. The index can be regarded as a draft,
which must, however, be refined according to the specific aims of a particular project.
Although focused on German needs, we expect that it can also be useful in other countries.
The high amount of interest shown for the index supports its usefulness.
Keywords
Hospital information system - information management - delivery of health care - needs
assessment - quality assurance - process assessment (health care)
