Hospital information systems and DRG reimbursement

Large transactions processing systems are often rigid, closed, and mechanistic. When faced with sudden and severe change, organizations may have difficulty adapting quickly and effectively. This paper investigates how three major New York hospitals adjusted to the imposition on their patient account systems of DRG based reimbursement. The field study identifies common strategies and problems, along with the need for further research into how to efficiently adapt such critical systems to drastic change.