Assessment of the efficiency of implementation of medical information systems: results of a survey of pharmaceutical workers

Abstract

In the context of active digital transformation of domestic healthcare, special attention is paid to the implementation of medical information systems, in particular in pharmacies. The effective functioning of medical information systems contributes to improving the quality of pharmaceutical services to the population and ensures the performance of state programs, in particular "Affordable Medicines".

Purpose. To assess the effectiveness of the level of implementation of medical information systems in the practical activities of pharmacy establishments and identify the main problems that arise among pharmaceutical workers during the practical application of systems, based on the analysis of survey results.

Materials and methods. The study used the results of a sociological survey of 833 pharmaceutical workers, conducted in September 2024 in electronic format. The questionnaire contained 20 questions divided into three thematic modules: general information about the respondents, assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of medical information systems, as well as identification of technical and organizational problems of their implementation. In the process of conducting the study, a set of methods was used: general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization), theoretical (structural and system analysis), as well as practical, in particular, a sociological survey.

Results and discussion. The survey results showed that the vast majority of pharmaceutical workers positively assess the implementation of medical information systems, in particular regarding the convenience of electronic prescription redemption, automation of drug accounting and interaction with the National Health Insurance Fund. The most common systems were “Pharmacy 911”, “SKARB” and “Helsi”. At the same time, problematic issues of using these systems were identified, especially, uneven implementation, complexity of authorization, restrictions on the availability of medicines, as well as instability of technical support. Analysis of respondents' responses showed different levels of experience in using medical information systems, as well as a significant impact of external factors (lack of electricity, Internet, etc.) on the quality of the systems' operation. Pharmaceutical workers indicated the need to improve the functionality of medical information systems, simplify the authorization process, increase the level of digital literacy of personnel and develop software quality standards. Based on the generalization of the research results, the main areas that require systemic improvement were identified in order to increase the efficiency of the functioning of medical information systems as a modern effective tool for integrating pharmacy institutions into the national electronic healthcare system.

Conclusions. The results of the study revealed a number of technical, organizational, and informational problems that require systemic improvement. It has been determined that the effective functioning of medical information systems in pharmacies requires a comprehensive approach, including: stable technical support, simplification of authorization, increasing the digital literacy of pharmacists, integration with other electronic health systems, development of communication between medical and pharmaceutical workers, implementation of quality standards and systematic monitoring.