Toward an information systems architecture model for university hospitals: A case study in a Brazilian public hospital

Abstract

The implementation of information systems (IS) architecture is a step in constructing enterprise architecture (EA) according to The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) and can introduce notable benefits in supporting the management and governance of information and communications technology (ICT) in organizations. However, the literature lacks models that support the construction of IS architectures in university hospitals (UHs). The Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Pernambuco (HC-UFPE) is a large UH that confronts ICT misalignments of with other internal areas. In this context, this study investigates and proposes an IS architecture model for UHs through a case study conducted at HC-UFPE. The data collection methodology for constructing the IS architecture of this hospital was based on consultations with institutional documents, interviews with strategic stakeholders, and participant observations in the hospital's ICT sector. Open coding and data triangulation were used to analyze the data. This study presents two main contributions. (1) The development of a model used to assist in the construction of IS architecture for UHs. The model developed in this study has a practical application with the TOGAF 9.2 framework and Archi software for constructing an IS architecture for HC-UFPE. (2) The development and delivery of an HC-UFPE IS architecture to support the hospital's ICT governance, providing, through EA artifacts, a holistic view of the hospital's current and future ICT processes, in addition to the identification of gaps, challenges, and viable solutions to be considered for decision making to improve service delivery and ICT alignment with other hospital areas.