Abstract: Administrator Jennifer Stanton attempts to adopt an Electronic Health Records system at ComprehensiveCare, a multispecialty healthcare practice. Consultants from the vendor provide guidance to the organization, but do not provide that guidance in a way that the non-technical administrator understands. The project experiences escalation of commitment as the administrator attempts to budget for a project that requires unforeseen infrastructure investments. Customizations undertaken at the behest of the managing partner, Dr. Francine Harris, make using the system slow. This interruption in workflow incites user resistance, derailing the benefits that ComprehensiveCare expects to gain from the adoption. The owner-physicians on the board of directors must decide whether to require Jennifer to pull the plug on the system. This is the first case in a series of three cases concerning ComprehensiveCare’s adoption of Electronic Health Records. This case challenges readers to examine escalation of commitment in a real-life context and appreciate that while each decision could make sense on its own, in totality, the project is clearly out of control. Readers must then decide whether to abandon the system by “pulling the plug” or to undergo a rebranding plan to save the investments. This case provides a context that would be relevant in a graduate-level IS management course, an undergraduate fundamentals course, or a project management course.

Keywords: Escalation of commitment, Project management, Adoption failure, Organizational system, Electronic health records, Teaching case

Download this article: JISE - Volume 28 Number 2, Page 71.pdf

Recommended Citation: Gomillion, D. L. (2017). Teaching Case: ComprehensiveCare and the Failed Implementation of an Electronic Health Records System. Journal of Information Systems Education, 28(2), 71-82.