Visual Modelling of Health Information Systems for their Administrative, Legal, Social and Ethical Management

Abstract

Operating within complex social environments, health information systems raise numerous administrative, social, legal and ethical issues that could become controversial. Gridlock can result from lack of common factual understanding of their technical and social dimensions. Some argue that data flow diagrams can help to dissipate misconceptions, delimit areas of concern and identify solutions. But flow charts and other existing visual models provide a poor image of exactly who and how social actors interact through a system. This article presents a new model which adapts elements from existing ones in order to convey concepts that have proved useful for the social assessement of information systems. Three experiments are presented here: the preparation of a patient consent form for a new health research data warehouse; the social assessment of an existing controversial system for prevention of illegal access to prescription drugs; and an impact analysis of an act regarding disclosure of confidential information on networked health records. As other visual models, this one forces the users to engage into rigourous analysis. However, its results are signifantly different and complementary. They can be powerfully revealing, yet easy to understand by non specialists. Further experimentation and writing of instruction material are now needed.

« La modélisation visuelle des systèmes d'information en santé pour leur gestion administrative, légale et éthique » in Grant AM, Fortin JP et Mathieu L (éds), L'informatique de la santé dans le soins intégrés : connaissances, applications, évaluation. Actes des 9e Journées Francophones d'Informatique Médicale, Sherbrooke : Société Québécoise d'informatique Biomédicale et de la Santé (SoQibs), 2003, pp. 297-308.

Entire text in PDF (in French):
http://www.ircm.qc.ca/bioethique/francais/telesante/documents/modelisation_visuelle.pdf