Success factors for automated systems in the clinical environment: the MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) experience.

In today's dynamic health care environment, efficient, easy, and cost-effective access to patient information is crucial for clinical decision making. The Medical University of South Carolina's experience as alpha site for development of an open architecture clinical information system (OACIS) served as a catalyst for unprecedented organizational change in this 600-bed tertiary care teaching and research facility. This article reviews the steps in the process of preparing the hospital environment for successful testing and implementation of OACIS.