New Technology and System Evaluation Essay Example

When evaluating new technology and system evaluation, there are multiple ways to determine if the right technology is being chosen. Analyzing the pros and cons of the technology is a start. The pros must always outweigh the cons and budget also must be taken into consideration. Not every technology will work for every health care system, so it is important that a thorough analysis takes place to ensure that all the requirements are met and there are perceived opportunities. The technology must have a positive impact on the health care system and fit into the budget. The perceived strengths of the technology must outweigh the weaknesses and the perceived opportunities must outweigh the perceived threats. Utilizing a SWOT chart will help outline these categories and assist in evaluating the technology to determine if it is the right one for the health care system.

 Once a technology is evaluated and selected, an important question would be, is it compatible with existing technology? Technology compatibility is an important topic that should not be overlooked. Technology can work together cohesively and be synergistic in nature allowing for great possibility and opportunity. Technology can also work against each other and expose serious problems. Technology must be evaluated for combability and this is something that can be determined by the producers of the technology platforms. Technology companies work with each other to evaluate if their systems are compatible and able to integrate through testing. Whether it is hardware, software or even network capabilities, technology companies are the experts in determining fi their platforms are compatible with other technologies. Technology integration should be thoroughly tested before the final decision is made to select a technology for this reason. 

When evaluating and selecting a technology for a health care organization, the ease of use for users must be considered. Vikas Hazrati from InfoQ wrote, “Whitney Quesenbery suggested that measuring usability goes beyond the ease of use. She suggested that measuring usability is a function of five E’s (effective, efficient, engaging, error tolerant, easy to learn).” (Hazrati, 2009). Efficient can be determined by time. This would be clicks or page views. Effective is how accurate is the completion and how often are errors produced. Engaging is user acceptance, this can be measured by surveys or interviews. Error tolerance is potential problems in test use scenarios. The last E is easy to learn. This can be measured by limiting instruction given to test participants. Selecting a technology for ease of use will require some hands-on testing and feedback provided by users. Using the five E’s, will give an analysis of the technology. 

When selecting a new technology, the cost of the technology and the benefits of the technology must be considered. If a technology provides mediocre benefits but is costly, the technology is likely not the right choice to move forward with. Determining the cost and the benefit of a technology is important from a financial perspective. The technology has to make sense practically and financially. The Cost-benefit analysis can be used to compare the costs expended versus the benefits gained. “Using a cost benefit analysis can help teams identify the highest and best return on an investment based on the cost, resources, and risk involved.” (Weller, 2016). The cost benefit analysis focuses on 5 basic steps. Establish a framework, identify costs, calculate costs and benefits, compare costs and benefits, analyze results. This is an outline that will give a broad view of cost to benefit analysis.   

Depending upon the size of the health care organization, the health care manager’s role in the evaluation of technology can vary. In a small organization the manager will have a bigger role and likely be more involved. In a large organization, the health care manager would have little to no say in the evaluation of the technology. Regardless of the size of the organization, the manager should be prepared and have knowledge in technology and technology evaluation. Being prepared using SWOT, ROI, or cost benefit analysis to be able to determine if a technology is right for the organization. The technology selection should fit the wants and needs of the organization and understanding the organization, will help the manager select the best technology. The manager should understand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and vulnerabilities of the technology to choose the right technology for the organization. 

After technology has been evaluated, selected and implemented, it should be analyzed and tracked to ensure that it is providing the benefits sought. Implemented technology must continuously be evaluated for effectiveness. There are several data sources that can be used to evaluate technology for effectiveness. Formative data can be used to evaluate processes or activities. This data can reveal information about implementation or whether a goal is being reached. Another data source is summative. Summative data focuses on outcomes and effectiveness of the technology. Formative evaluation usually involves immediate improvement of the technology during the evolving stages. People can also be used as data. Surveys on ease of use and effectiveness can give a good idea on whether the technology is being accepted by end users. Interviews can also take place to get real data about the technology from the perspective of those that have used it. Interviews can involve questions or live use to reveal likes and dislikes about the technology. This can be a good indication of effectiveness of the technology.