A decision model and support system for the optimal design ofhealth information networks

摘要

Health information networks (HINs) have become increasinglynimportant in the structure of the health care industry. In this paper,nwe develop decision models and decision-support systems for designingnand performing cost-benefit analyses of HINs. Our models prioritize thenconnection of various types of health providers to the network based onnthe costs and benefits of all participants: the network owners,ninformation providers and information users of the HIN. The businessnstrategy underlying this analysis is to design the system with thenmaximum value for the network owner(s), while ensuring that the networknprovides positive added value to each of its nodes. Our framework couldnbe used to examine the design of and to perform a cost-benefit analysisnfor an existing network, for the expansion of an existing network, ornfor the development of a new network. One can also use the models fornbreak-even point and scenario analyses. We have used our approach tonexamine an existing HIN [the Wisconsin Health Information Networkn(WHIN)] and to perform a scenario analysis for a possible restructuringnof the network. Our empirical results in this case show that HINs couldnbe highly profitable for all network participants