The Adoption of the National Programme for Information Technology in the UK National Health Service: The Case of Lorenzo

Abstract

The failed National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT) undertaken by the UK National Health Service (NHS) was described as the largest IT programme ever undertaken.  This paper considers the factors that influenced the implementation of one aspect of the NPfIT, Lorenzo, the Electronic Health Record system.Using grounded theory semi-structured interviews were conducted with respondents from the NHS and IT contractors to get a balanced approach on user acceptance from the client side and the supplier side.  NVIVO was used to aid the analysis of the interview data and the dominant categories which emerged, Clinicians’ Attributes, Organisational Factors and System Related Factors, are discussed.  The implications for IS academics and practitioners are outlined before the paper concludes.

Keywords: Health Informatics, National Health Service, National Programme for Information Technology.