Application of engineering & technology management practices to university R&D research in sustainable healthcare information technology for primary care clinics

Abstract

Adoptions of Information Technology in healthcare settings such as primary care clinics can support improve quality of patient care and increase clinical efficiency. Such types of applications generally referred to as Health IT (HIT) are frequently results of university R&D projects and teams, often housed in Medical Schools. Due to the technological nature of these R&D projects they require a considerable level of systems engineering, product development and business planning competences in conjunction with healthcare domain expertise. Successful research teams incorporate the range of these practices either by partnering with other universities with complementary expertise or adding individuals with such skills to their research teams. The Care Management Plus program at Oregon Health & Science University founded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the National Library of Medicine is an example of a successful HIT development program. The CMP team has implemented an interdisciplinary approach incorporating Healthcare, Medical Informatics and Engineering & Technology Management disciplines. Through this publication the research background, the team and the gap analysis that lead to adoption of an interdisciplinary approach are presented. Specifically application of Technology Management concepts including Technology Road Mapping, User-Centered Innovation, System Dynamics and Technology Transfer are discussed.