Question $2$

$[35$ marks$]$

Read the following scenario and answer the questions that follow:

You are a newly appointed IT consultant at a regional hospital, "HealthHub Medical Centre," known for its commitment to providing high$-$quality patient care. The hospital administration has recognised that modernising their information systems is crucial to improving overall efficiency, patient satisfaction, and healthcare outcomes. As the lead consultant, you are tasked with assessing the hospital's information systems needs, analysing these needs, proposing a solution, and recommending implementing the most suitable information system.

Hospital Challenges and Needs

Patient Records Management: The hospital relies on paper$-$based patient records, leading to delays in accessing patient history, test results, and treatment plans.

Appointment Scheduling: The manual appointment scheduling process results in scheduling conflicts, patient dissatisfaction, and inefficient resource utilisation.

Inventory and Supply Chain: Tracking medical supplies and inventory manually causes stockouts, wastage, and difficulty in procurement planning.

Billing and Financial Management: The billing department struggles with errors in invoicing, delayed payments, and challenges in generating financial reports.

Communication and Collaboration: Lack of a centralised system hampers effective communication among healthcare professionals, affecting coordinated patient care.

Required

Needs Identification:

$[10$ marks$]$

Identify and clearly define the information systems needs that HealthHub Medical Centre is facing based on the challenges provided. Explain the significance of each need in the context of improving patient care and hospital operations.

$6$

HPX$100-1-$Jan$-$Jun$2024-$SA$1-$CZ$-$V$2-01112023$

Needs Analysis

$[10$ marks$]$

Analyse the identified needs comprehensively, emphasising the negative consequences of not addressing these needs. Discuss how these unmet needs impact patient care quality, staff efficiency, and hospital reputation.

Solution Proposal

$[10$ marks$]$

Propose a solution involving an appropriate information system to address the identified needs. Justify why your proposed solution aligns with the hospital's mission and how it can enhance patient care and operational efficiency.

System Eyaluation and Implementation $[5$ marks$]$