HEC132 Surviving SAP Implementation in a Hospital

Question

Answer 

SAP Implementation

2011 marked tremendous changes in the medical field in the Valle del Lili Foundation, Columbia. Consequently, this is because the University hospital changed its operational techniques from the analog use of paper records to managing all the details electronically. Diverse challenges rose from the simultaneous change for it was a common trend within the hospital management as the implementation cannot be done at ones, also putting in use a more informed technology many times do face failure majorly due to mass rejection by the staff (Grabski, Leech and Lu 2001). The VLFs management had higher expectations that the recruitment of doctors and other clinical related workers would be a success suppose the implementation of SAP was a success, as it would bring a new image to the hospital management.

Characteristics of a SAP implementation

Hospitals portray differently extends regarding how they relate to the SAP technique. Conversely, because they cover extensively scores of patients, it is crucial for the provision of SAP to be intense. Hospitals require frequent updating of records; it is also true that hospitals records must continually be reviewed each time patients visit the hospitals. On the other hand, however, most organizations find it easy to have its crucial details stored in the electronic databases (Agarwal and Garg 2012). Consequently, this can be attributed to the fact that majority of the information are only revisited under exceptional circumstances, and different departments create a provision for technical back up.  

The important question, however, pegged on the analysis of the case study reveals that despite the advantages of electronic information management in most of the hospitals, few countries have shown the interest in the adoption of the system. The post benefits of the system entailed more affordable health care delivery and increased patients’ records safety. Consequently, VLF is ranked as one of the top achiever's hospitals in Latin America and the best in Colombia. In connection, it is faithful to argue out that one of the primary reasons as to why most of our hospitals will lag behind regarding development is the reluctant nature of their SAP implementation.  

SAP implementation in a Colombian hospital?

Law 100 (1993) brought along various changes in the field of Colombia's health system. The law created a provision for Health Promotion Organization (HPO) who are in charge of enrolling members and managing the available resources. Conversely, other relevant stakeholders include the Care Delivery Organization responsible for providing services for the HPO. Relatively, power is given to the HPO such that it the HPOs and not the doctors that provide provision as to where patients are treated (Seo 2013). Law 100 also created a provision for OHP responsible for a reference price list for the company. The law majorly worked on a simple principle to ensure its success by identifying the stakeholders and their obligations as well. Some of the renounced stakeholders identified comprised of Health Promotion Organization (HPO) whose mandate was for health insurance. Besides, Care Delivery Organization (CDO) is also a remarkable stakeholder who majorly provides protection to the members. VLF seems to be a top -down hospital with several units within it each under the docket of a physician with several administrative officers forming the medical council whose mandate is to convey information over significant decisions.

Regarding medical records, they are managed and stored in ways that uphold the confidentiality of the information and the credibility of the physician (Tsai et al. 2010). Since they are legal documents in Colombia, it is crucial that the papers contain all the possible information about the clinical course of patients. Most hospitals, however, use printed out attachments that are fixed in the patient's chart. It is crucial however to understand that most of this information are subjected to transcription errors hence implicating the quality. Examples of the errors include mislaid or lost information and secretaries making an error.

References

Agarwal, D., & Garg, P. 2012. ERP implementation in hospitals: a case study. International journal of electronic healthcare, 7(2), 157-180.

Grabski, S.V., Leech, S.A. and Lu, B., 2001. Risks and controls in the implementation of ERP systems.

Seo, G. 2013. Challenges in implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in large organizations: similarities and differences between corporate and university environment (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Tsai, W.H., Chen, S.P., Hwang, E.T. and Hsu, J.L., 2010. A study of the impact of business process on the ERP system effectiveness. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(9), p.26.