| Abstrakt: |
Achieving useful and usable community health information systems is still a challenge. This paper considers the recent developments within a rural community trust in the UK, with particular reference to the change in approach by the management and Information Management & Technology (IM&T) department towards system users. The Trust has used a system based on hand-held computers for about 10 years, and the system generated mostly quantitative monitoring data. The information was rarely useful to the staff who input the data, and its use for management purposes was also limited. User dissatisfaction and the need to upgrade the system for Year 2000 compliance has led to a consultative process which highlighted the drawbacks of the existing system and identified a number of interim solutions to be implemented pending a move towards an integrated, multi-disciplinary system. User participation in this process has engendered a more positive and constructive attitude towards these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
