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To get the most from their investment, persons choosing hospital information systems today should keep in mind technological trends affecting future system standards. This article describes specific hardware and software developments and outlines factors increasing the need for system flexibility and integration.

Although some believe that electronic management information systems in the health care setting are of questionable value, I cannot support that position. There are undoubtedly health care institutions with management information systems (MISs) that are of dubious value, just as there are institutions in which the MIS is of enormous value. The question of the value of an MIS to an institution has more to do with an understanding of what an MIS is, what the institution's information needs are, and what the MIS can and should be doing for an organization, than it does with any inherent benefits that the system displays in and of itself exclusive of its environment. The views that follow address the process of evaluation that should take place to assess these issues and maximize the effectiveness of an information system in an organization. Figure 1 is a graphic representation of the evaluation process.