ABSTRACT
Health reform has been a fundamental part of each of the Chinese central government's National Five-Year Plans. The health reforms launched in 2009 aimed at realizing two major goals: to achieve and sustain universal health coverage, and to enhance the quality of care. The integrated health information system (IHIS) contains the many components needed to manage every aspect of a hospital's operation, including a laboratory information system (LIS), policy and procedure management system, picture archiving and communication system (PACS), medication management system (MMS), and electronic health record (EHR). This complex system now includes a self-service encounter system (SSES) composed of a self-service registration machine (SSRM), a self-service payment machine (SSPaM), and a self-service printing machine (SSPrM) so that patients are able to manage various administrative aspects of their care themselves. The success of the IHIS in China's hospitals sets a strong example to encourage further integration of information technology across healthcare in other countries.
