Implementation, monitoring and utilization of an integrated Hospital Information System--lessons from a case study.

In most hospitals several heterogeneous Information Systems (IS) store parts of a still scattered patient record. Virtual Patient Records (VPR) are systems that aggregate known data elements about the patient from different IS in real-time. This papers aims to present the main lessons learned from the implementation and the usage during 6 years of a VPR system. Ten major lessons were divided in recommendations for software developers, information managers and institutional policy makers. Implementing and using a VPR is a difficult journey but can generate great value for the institution if most of these recommendations are taken in consideration.