A Process oriented approach to alleviate service delivery issues in the Sri Lankan private sector hospitals : an information systems perspective

Abstract

The growth of the Sri Lankan healthcare sector is a necessity at this stage due to an increasingly ageing community and a significant increase in non-communicable diseases. Despite many regulations that given the sector, it continues to be inundated with many problems in relation to delivery of healthcare services./ Although the state is a prominent player in the industry, private sector healthcare facilities provide curative out patitent care to 60% of the population in the country. The World Health Organisation strategic agenda, Strategic Framework for Health Development in Sri Lanka as well as the Health Master Plan had highlighted the necessity of Information Systems for improved service delivery in the sector./ The existing Information Systems with it's administrative and financial bias has failed to add value in the interaction between the healthcare worker and the patient. The study investigates the possible evolution of the existing Healthcare Information Systems by analyzing the process orientation of the organization, IT investment ,IT infrastructure and the external environment of the healthcare institute./ This qualitative study provides a framework as well as a set of recommendations for a process oriented approach to alleviate service delivery issues in the Sri Lankan private sector hospitals.