Information characteristics in the operation of a healthcare service from the staff perspective

Abstract

Healthcare services are different to others services due to the multiple interactions between patients, staff and administrative staff. A significant aspect of healthcare sector is the relevance of information. This organization element allows a suitable interaction. The aim of this paper was to identify information characteristics and their influence on the healthcare service operation at a specialist hospital in Mexico from the staff perspective. The study included interviews with staff members and the review of official documents that define the service characteristics. A thematic analysis permitted identifying the steps of the healthcare service and the touch-points where the information management was not satisfactory and generates some problems for the service operation. The results of this study could help in designing a more usable and effective service.