Harkness Project Title: The Use of Computers for Clinical Care—A Case Series of Advanced U.S. Sites
Mentors: David Bates, M.D., and Brent James, M.D.
Placement: Brigham and Women's Hospital and Intermountain Healthcare
Biography at time of Harkness Fellowship: David F. Doolan. M.B., B.S., a 2000-01 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy, is a medical manager and planner for the Central Coast Area Health Service in New South Wales, Australia. He has eight years experience as a practicing physician in Australia and England and has worked as a management consultant for a global strategic consulting firm. Doolan has been involved in the implementation of clinical information systems both as a consultant and as a medical manager. His primary research interests are in the area of using information and communication technologies to support the work of clinicians to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of health care services. Doolan received his medical degree from the University of Queensland and a Master’s in Business Administration from Bond University in Queensland. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators. During his tenure as a Harkness Fellow, Doolan split his time between Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Intermountain Health Care, Inc., to examine the impact of clinical information systems on the quality and effectiveness of health care.
Project: Doolan explored what clinical information systems are in use, in what settings, what has been the impact of different systems, and what has it taken to implement and maintain them in the clinical environment. He conducted case studies at five U.S. hospitals that are advanced in their use of clinical information systems (LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City; Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis; Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston; Queen’s Medical Center, Honolulu; Veteran’s Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle and Tacoma). Data was collected through the use of a survey instrument, interviews, observation and document analysis.
Career Activity Since Fellowship
- Director, Clinical IT Support & Development, Information Services, Hunter New England Area Health Service, 2005
- Director of Clinical Services, Greater Newcastle Sector, Hunter Area Health Service, 2002
Current Position: Chief Health Information Officer, Telstra Health, Australia (Updated 1/2014)
E-Mail: [email protected]
Selected Publications
Jha AK, Doolan D, Grandt D. et al., “The Use of Health Information Technology in Seven Nations,” International Journal of Medical Informatics, Dec. 2008 77(12):848–54.
Doolan DF and Bates DW. “Computerized Physician Order Entry –Mandates and Incentives” Health Affairs 2002; 21(4):180-188.
Doolan DF, Bates DW, and James BC. "The Use of Computers for Clinical Care—A Case Series of Advanced U.S. Sites," Journal of American Medical Informatics Association, 2002.