ABSTRACT
Health information systems (HIS) have progressed from being used to manage billing to impacting patient safety and health professionals' job satisfaction. Many decisions are made during project management and the information system lifecycle of a HIS. Medical librarians are underutilized in HIS lifecycles; it may not be clear to stakeholders what they can provide and where their services fit. Medical librarians possess expertise to navigate various search resources and can investigate inquiries during information systems project lifecycles. Librarians can market specific skills to project lifecycle teams such as those involved in computerized provider order entry (CPOE), electronic medication administration record (eMAR) and root cause analysis (RCA). HIS project personnel, including patient safety team members, should make use of medical librarians in phases of health information systems project management. This will help them meet institutional and global objectives for evidence-based use of technology towards improved patient safety.
