Project Methodology
July 27, 2009
To begin with, developing this kind of system, Hospital Room Information System, needs profound research. It’s not just a typical hospital but one of the most prestigious in Central Luzon. The team found their existing system to be fine but as we go along with the data gathering like research and interviews from the departments who are affected in the development, the proponents determined that there are still inconsistencies to be improved (please see Appendix A.2 Questionnaire and Survey Forms A.3 Interview Transcript). In Admitting Department, they were having difficulties looking for available rooms for the patients to be admitted. The other one is when a department experiences inconsistencies, they are all calling directly to Admitting Department to inform that there is a problem, knowing that the Admitting Department is only using one computer. On the Nurse Station, nurses are posting the patients’ name and of the doctor/s in a rack that has room number which they called Patient Room Information Census (or most of the nurses call it Carousel) in which it decreases the confidentiality of the patients’ profile. One more thing is that they use lots of paper which can lead to report loss. All of the updates that have been made from the system are called using telephone from the department who made the modification. These are the departments who are involved in the development for their existing system.
Aside from analyzing and observing the system’s functionalities and inconsistencies, the team came up with questionnaire for the survey that they are going to conduct for the affected departments, which in the end will lead again to analyzing. As the team received the surveys forms and statistically analyze them, generally, the results are more on connection. They were all complaining how slow the connection is, even the update and retrieval of the system. These circumstances may not be the proponents’ concern anymore but as developers, they try to come up with something that will improve or satisfy the needs of the users.
The team decided to use the Methodology Waterfall with Prototyping Model. It allows them to do the prototyping between requirements analysis and program design or even during these three (3) Steps (Requirements Analysis, System Design, and Program Design), all throughout the prototyping, you can go back to analyze every detail of the prototype if everything is working according to the requirements. On the Waterfall with Prototyping Model, when you perform the system testing you can actually go back to validate the requirements analysis and verify the System Design. Unlike the traditional waterfall model, you cannot make a prototype anywhere. You have to perform the steps systematically until you achieve the testing of the system.
The group wanted to modify everything that needs to be modified. Something that may not be perfect but at least, the users’ needs will be please. The team is very much willing to learn according to the need or demands of the real IT business nature. This could be a breakthrough for them if the system will get the chance to be implemented.
