Question

Evaluate the healthcare information system acquisition process as if you were preparing to initiate those activities. Develope a hypothetical project scope, vendor selection process, determine the system goals and requirements, discuss the RFP process, vendor evaluation process including the evaluation criteria and analysis. Discuss project management tools that will help you accomplish this task and conduct a risk analysis of what can go wrong during a healthcare information system acquisition.

Answer 1

Project Scope: Implementation of Information system to manage health records and data of customers.

Vendor selection process: Vendor should have the following to be eligible for vendor discussion and consideration.
1. Should have at least 10 + year’s experience in deployment of healthcare information system
2. Should have implemented the system in at least 10 major healthcare institutions across the country. Case studies, summaries and learning to be shared along with proposal.
3. Should have dedicated project manager, project lead and agreeable timeline for implementation
4. Vendor should support the phase after implementation for period of 6 months with dedicated on premise personal
5. Vendor should have 24 x 7 support during and after implementation support
6. Issues should be resolved within 1-2 hours
7. Clearly defined escalation matrix to be provided
8. Resource list and mapping for project should be provided in detail
9. Project manager cannot change without prior intimation and approval from the organization

System goals and requirements:
1. The system should be cloud based and the desktop clients should have seamless data transfer
2. Single Sign On feature to be enabled across devices
3. Extension of data should be available in mobile devices to top management
4. The data should be backed up on a periodic basis in such a way that the daily operations do not get affected

RFP Process:
1. RFP`s will be accepted only till 1st of Next month from the issue of this document
2. The vendors needs to be provide detailed information about the organization, implemented solutions, case studies along with project management best solutions.
3. For any change in the RFP document, the same will be charged and will be managed through change request mechanism
4. RFP`s once shared will be the final till vendors are shortlisted for discussion

Vendor evaluation:
Vendor will be evaluated basis the terms and conditions given in the vendor selection section.

Risk analysis: Following risks can occur during the RFP cycle.
1. No vendor interest in the project
2. Improper understanding of requirement from vendors
3. Non feasible solution shared by vendors
4. Inability of vendors to scale up operations after RFP submission

Project management tool: To ensure projects gets completed on time, a detailed project timeline will be shared by the vendor which will be discussed and finalized with the top management. MS Project based Gantt Chart will be used with defined start and end date to every activity to monitor the project progress. A collaboration tool will be used for data sharing.