Box 4.

Why are computerised health information systems prone to failure?

• Failure to take into account the social and professional cultures of healthcare organisations and to recognise that education of users and computer staff is an essential precursor
• Underestimation of the complexity of routine clinical and managerial processes
• Dissonance between the expectations of the commissioner, the producer, and the users of the system
• Implementation of systems is often a long process in a sector where managerial change and corporate memory is short
• “My baby” syndrome
• Reluctance to stop putting good money after bad
• Failure of developers to look for and learn lessons from past projects