Entrepreneurial IT Governance in a Rural Family Practice Residency Program

This study describes and assesses the evolution of IT governance practices in a rural family practice residency program. The need to establish IT governance was driven by the practice’s desire to implement electronic medical records capability. The authors employed a prominent information technology (IT) governance framework to conduct this assessment and exposed significant strengths and weaknesses in terms of the suitability of the IT governance framework within the rural healthcare setting as described. Given the relatively slow adoption rates within the healthcare industry in general, and among rural health providers more specifically, we present local knowledge (Geertz, 1985). In doing so, we provide an additional perspective for those seeking to construct theoretical bases for the formulation of health policy intended to promote the adoption of IT as a means of improving healthcare in the rural United States. In addition, this chapter describes the role of IT in enabling the residency practice to embrace current practice improvement initiatives.