Assessing hospital readiness for radio frequency identification device implementation in Iran: a conceptual model

Background

To avoid possible failures and ineffective use of economic resources, necessary infrastructure must be provided before implementing new technologies in a developing country like Iran.

Objectives

To assess the degree of readiness for implementing a radio frequency identification device (RFID) system in hospitals in Iran.

Methods

We adopted a descriptive design and structural equation modeling (LISREL statistical software package) to analyze data collected from the hospitals affiliated with the Semnan University of Medical Sciences. All managers, physicians, residents, nurses, and staff members of the medical records and information technology sectors participated in this study. A questionnaire was designed by the investigators to collect ideas from the participants about organizational readiness, cultural readiness, and human resource readiness in implementing RFID.

Results

We found a significant positive correlation between the variables studied. Human resource readiness significantly predicted RFID implementation, with cultural readiness playing the role of a mediator variable. Cultural readiness itself was influenced by organizational readiness (P < 0.01). We found 0.346 (standard deviation: 0.374) changes in an arbitrary unit of the possibility of RFID implementation was attributed to human resources and cultural readiness.

Conclusions

Paying attention to cultural factors, which play an important role in implementing technological projects such as RFID in developing countries like Iran, can reduce the risk of failure. Hospitals should strengthen organizational factors and improve the support of top rank managers when implementing technological projects. By so doing, they will promote cultural readiness, prepare human resources, and win the cooperation of personnel for such projects.