The slow pace of electronic health record (EHR) systems implementation nationally, despite pressure from influential sources including the Institute of Medicine and the Leapfrog Group, is attributed to fears that the systems will never repay their multi-million dollar costs, that their use will add to the workload of providers who are already overburdened, and that their benefits are difficult to measure and articulate to stakeholders. Evaluations of clinical information systems can address these fears by approaching the questions stakeholders want answered using scientific methods that are appropriately integrated into the information system development and implementation process and that address both system functionality and effectiveness.

This presentation will provide an overview of evaluation, including its conceptual underpinnings and practical application in challenging health care environments, using examples drawn from the studies conducted by the Laboratory for System Implementation and Evaluation at the University of Pittsburgh.