Knowledge Richness for Electronic Health Development: The Trap of Excessive Knowledge for Usability of Electronic Prescription

Abstract

Objectives: The present research has a significant value for the theory of and research in health informatics and clinical practice. The aim of the article was to investigate how important is knowledge richness and linkage as knowledge quality for the information technology system success decomposing existing electronic Prescription systems in the context of comparison regarding the building process. Methods: The four most actively used Lithuanian electronic Prescription modules have been selected for the research. To achieve the purpose, decomposition of electronic Prescription processes have been carried out to assess relations between knowledge richness and richness adopted in the electronic Prescription module and knowledge usability. The method of heuristic assessment and cognitive walkthroughs was used. The heuristic method is used for the evaluation of an information system by a specialist in the field or by qualified members of the information system development team. Results: A completely developed electronic Prescription system functioning in the entire state has been implemented only in several European countries and Finland is one of the best examples. Despite the fact that several information systems have been developed in Lithuania that prescribes electronic Prescription with 40 million Euros spent on information technology systems, still, 15% of all prescriptions are written on paper in Lithuania. Conclusions: A dynamic selection rule could be apply to address the issue of electronic Prescription use. Such analysis can help the healthcare administrators and professionals to evaluate the potential of enabling information technology and the opportunity it created to rethink or reengineer the e.Prescription process and the associated activities based on the enabling information technology capability.