Information systems in Health care that are based on service-oriented architectures should not only capture, present and evaluate information about the person’s health status, but also they should increase the efficiency of the hospital. For example, health care information systems should control rational choosing a medical device in the hospital.
Medical devices are used to enhance health care in general and to enhance the health of everyone. On the one hand, the use of medical devices brings health care to the next level and it has a lot of benefits to the patients. One the other hand, the process of choosing a medical device is intricate. In many cases the choice and use of medical devices is not based on the needs of a hospital. So information systems, models and methods should be developed in order to optimize the process of choosing a medical device. Developing a decision support system is one of the ways to solve the current problem of lack of a medical device management system and to improve health care.
It is worth noting that the medical devices market is growing. For example, only in Germany there are more then 170 manufactures of medical devices. How do doctors choose which one to buy when there is such a diversity of medical devices? Medical devices are often chosen for their technical attributes. Marketing politic of the seller or physician preferences also influence the decision. But there are a lot of problems to choosing and buying a medical device.
One of the major obstacles to rational choosing of a medical device is innovation. The fact that this particular medical device is innovative can influence the decision. The specialist does not always consider whether this technology will be used in the hospital. The second important barrier to choosing a medical device is the lack of adequate information. The marketing and selling specialists try to show the best options of the device. So sometimes it can be difficult for decision-makers to compare the analogues medical devices reasonably. Moreover, the post-market surveillance systems which are the way to follow-up on the safety and effectiveness of a device do not function properly. The third problem that decision-makers face when they want to choose the medical device rationally is the high costs of it. Not only are the medical devices expensive, there are also hidden costs such as costs of accessory options, years of warranty, installation, procedures and recurrent costs for maintenance, spare parts, consumables etc. In addition, the doctor often chooses the medical device according to his preferences and previous experience. This choice may not be rational.
The work is submitted to the International Scientific Conference “Modern high technologies”, (Jordan), June 9-16, 2014 came to the editorial office оn 10.04.2014.