Electronic data interchange usage in China's healthcare organizations: the case of Beijing's hospitals

China has long since realized the potential benefits of adopting electronic data exchange. In particular, the Chinese government is promoting the usage of electronic data interchange (EDI) in healthcare organizations. However, little research has described the current status of EDI usage in these organizations. This study investigates the extent of EDI usage in Beijing's hospitals along four dimensions: volume, diversity, breadth, and depth. The results from 57 hospitals show that EDI usage is in its very early stages. The study provides possible reasons for the low EDI usage from cultural, economic, and technological perspectives, analyzes the differences of EDI usage in the different levels of China's hospitals, and suggests strategies to promote EDI usage in China's healthcare organizations. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.