Title: Design and Development of Information Systems
1Design and Development of Information Systems
- Yung-Fu Chen, Ph.D.
- Department of Health Services Administration
China Medical University
2Learning Objectives
- Discuss the stages in the traditional systems
development life cycle. - Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the
waterfall development methodology. - Describe methodologies that can be used to
quickly design and develop information system. - State the purpose of data modeling
- Discuss the benefits of using of using the data
modeling processing - Define the customary steps in the data modeling
process - Describe the differences between conceptual,
external, and internal data models.
- Differentiate between entities, attributes, and
relationships in a data model. - List and describe the contents of a conceptual
data model. - Describe he purpose and various functions of CASE
tools. - Distinguish the various notations in a data model
diagram. - Describe two techniques for process modeling
- Identify the differences between data and process
models. - Discuss the concept and benefits of
object-oriented modeling
3Outline
- Design and Development of Information Systems
- Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
- New Approaches and New Tools
- Use of New Approaches for Analysis and Design
- Developing Data Model Diagrams
4Systems Development Life Cycle
- Four stages for traditional SDLC
- System planning
- System development
- System implementation
- System operation
Table 5-1. SDLC
5Systems Development Life Cycle
- System analysis and design methodologies
- Model-driven approach
- Structure analysis
- Waterfall methodology
- Information engineering
- Object-oriented analysis
- Accelerated analysis technique
- Prototyping to identify user information and
system needs
6Systems Development Life Cycle
- Waterfall methodology
- One of the first approaches for information
systems analysis and design - Follows the SDLC in sequence, like water
cascading over a waterfall - A structured, model-driven, and process-oriented
approach - Documented by models such as data flow diagram
(DFD) describing the system processes and their
associated inputs, outputs, and storage needs
- Drawbacks
- Not Wholistic. Not including the development of
IS based on an enterprise information model - Extremely time-consuming. Using prototyping and
RAD tools to help reduce the drawback - Not sufficient emphasis on end-user input in the
development process. Use of rapid prototyping,
scenario-based development and JAD to help
minimize this drawback - Application development is performed with little
or no consideration of the overlap between other
existing applications and current projects
7New Approaches and New Tools
- Information engineering
- Based on a holistic view of an enterprises
information requirements, hence it is flexible
and able to accommodate changes in organizational
structure and/or changes in emphasis of the
external environment. - The modeling process considers the goals of the
enterprise, identifies data requirements,
identifies processes to be supported, and sets
priorities for implementation - Information models are represented in entity
relationship diagram (ERD)
8New Approaches and New Tools
- An outpatient clinic treats several patients per
day. Each patient is seen by a primary-care
provider. Each patient may also have ancillary
services performed including laboratory,
radiology, or other types of test
- Identify the various processes and groups of data
required to support each process - Processes include patient registration, patient
examination, performance of diagnostic tests - Various groups of data about
- the patient to support the registration,
examination, and diagnostic processes, such as
patients name, birthday, medical record number,
and sex - the visit, such as date of visit, time of the
visit, chief complaint, final diagnosis, and
disposition of the patient - The primary-care provider who saw the patients,
such as clinician name and clinician ID number - The tests that the patient received, such as name
of the tests, ID number of the test
- Represent information model in entity
relationship diagram (ERD) - An entity in defined as a person, place, thing,
or concept about which data are gathered, such as
patient, patient visit, primary-care provider,
and tests - Each ERD shows relationships between entities.
For example, patient is related to patient visit
(Figure 5-1) - Application independent
- Data do not depend on a specific application that
all the data can be used by all applications
9Figure 5-1 Simple Entity Relationship Diagram
The entity Patient is related to the entity
Patient Visit because every patient coming to the
clinic, hospital, or physicians office has a
patient visit.
10New Approaches and New Tools
- Computer-Aided Software Engineering Tools
- Development of IS relies heavily on charts and
graphics, such as DFD, ERD, data dictionaries,
and other types of tables and schematics - These types of graphics are necessary to track
interrelationships among data and organizational
processes. - CASE tools are used to help with system analysis
and design and the creation of such diagrams and
models
11New Approaches and New Tools
- Object-Oriented Analysis
- The waterfall method is a structured method
focusing on modeling and organizations processes - IE modeling focuses on modeling the
organizations data - O-O analysis integrates modeling the
organizations processes and data into objects
that each integrates individual processes and data
12New Approaches and New Tools
- Object-oriented (O-O) analysis
- An object include the operations or processes to
perform on the data (properties), which an entity
contains only data - All objects are assigned to a class with the
benefit that the subclass of objects inherits the
properties of the high class
- Object models use the unified model language
(UML) to provide standardized diagram techniques,
syntax, and notation to make it easy to document
system development - Rational Rose (Rational Software)
- Visible Analyst (Visible System)
- Visual Studio (Microsoft)
13Figure 5-2. Object-Orient Model
Object Class
- The objects Patient and Physician are assigned to
the class Person. - One benefit of O-O analysis is that attributes
and methods are not repeated separately for each
object in a class. This makes updating or
changing attribute and methods for a particular
class or subclass much easier and ensures better
consistency of data.
Attributes
Methods/Behaviors
Physician
Patient
Provider Credentials Insert Provider Insert
Credentials Delete Provider Delete Credentials
Medical Record Insurance Co. Insert Medical
Record Insert Insurance Co. Delete Insurance Co.
14New Approaches and New Tools
- Rapid Application Development
- Attempt to address the weaknesses of the
traditional structured waterfall approach by
using an interactive prototype approach to
development and engaging end user in all parts of
the process - By using the following techniques, RAD can
develop IS quickly - JAD and other CASE tools and 4G visual language
- Getting the critical essentials of a project
developed within a limited time period - Adjusting the SDLC phases, RAD methodology
- Joint Application Development
- Provide an opportunity for substantial end-user
input and speeds the development process - Team consists of a group of end-users, analysts,
and technique development professionals - A trained facilitator develops the agenda (Table
5-2) for the session and guides the discussion - A report is presented by including all of the
findings the as-is system, conformation of the
to-be system goals and objectives, identification
of new system functions, and determination of
development phases and the timeline
15Table 5-2. JAD Agenda
- Joint Application Design Session
- April 12, 13_ _
- Clinical Registration and Application Scheduling
System - Facilitator Y. F. Chen Scribes A. M.
Williams - J. M. Ludwig
- R. J. Johns
16New Approaches and New Tools
- Phased approach
- A primary element is determining the phase of
system development and priority - Break the whole system into a series of smaller
versions - 1st version the most critical and fundamental
requirements such as the admission-registration-tr
ansfer (ADT) system - 2nd version an order entry system
- 3rd version a results reporting system
- A strict time frame is placed on each phase
17New Approaches and New Tools
- Prototyping
- allows for maximal user input and helps to speed
up development process - is an interactive process to develop the external
features, such as design of screen, interaction
between screens, and reports, of a system - does not usually include a working database or
actual program code, but only provides the touch
and feel of the system to be designed
- needs CASE tools, such as 4GL, screen generators,
code generators, and program templates, to speed
up the development process - has several benefits
- It increases end user involvement in the analysis
and development process - It can be developed quickly
- It provides the look and feel of the real system
to be designed
18Administrator
Practitioner
Patient
Client
Policymaker
Physician
Health Information Manager (Information Broker)
Chapter 4
Information Services
- Information Engineering
- Strategic Planning
- Data Modeling
- Process Modeling
- Data Administration
- Interface Design
- Screen
- Reports
- Information Retrieval
- Search Strategies
- Database Languages
- DSS Development
- DSS Use
- Information Analysis
- DSS Use
- Statistical Analysis
- Data Presentation
- Policy Development
- Security
- Information Engineering
- Information Retrieval
- Information Use
Chapter 5
Figure 4-1. Information Engineering Function
19Use of New Approaches for Analysis and Design
- Data modeling
- Once the strategic planning efforts are
completed, the process of data modeling will
follow - An example which describes the outcomes of the
strategic planning for 350-bed acute-care
hospital - CSFs
- Provide quality care
- Have efficient operations
- Develop good physician relations
- Obtain optimal reimbursement and care mix
- Have a high perception of efficiency and service
by various constituents - Following the strategic planning process, the
hospitals IS committee started to integrate the
long-range IS plan with the business plan by
developing IS that supported the monitoring and
achievement of the CSFs - Table 5-3 show a sample of IS matrix for the
quality-of-care CSFs
20Table 5-3. Quality-of-Care CSF and IS Matrix
21Use of New Approaches for Analysis and Design
- A definition of data modeling
- A model is defined as a small copy or imitation
of an existing object - Data model is used as the plan for building
complex organization database. - The models should describe how data flow, the
requirements and usage of the data, and the
attributes of the data - Data modeling is the first essential step in
ensuring successful database and application
development - Figure 5-3 represents data requirements of an
emergency department encounter
- Categories of data models
- Conceptual data model (schema)
- defines the database requirements of the
enterprise in a single database description - is used as the basis for development of external
and internal models - External (logical) data model
- is the view of the data by a specific group of
users or a processing application, such as
admitting personnel, nursing service, HIM
department, human resources, and central supply
(Figure 5-4) - Internal (physical) data model
- depicts how the data are physically represented
in the database - whose development concerns with data structures,
file organizations, and mechanisms and techniques
to most efficiently store data and make use of
the DS
22Figure 5-3. Conceptual Data Model of Emergency
Department
Patient
MR NO LName FName Gender DOB Street
Address Apartment City State Insurance No ZIP
Project Emergency Room
Encounter. Model ER_PROJECT Author John
Version 1 02/28/--
Conceptual Data Model
Professional Staff
Employed ID
Encounter
Encounter NO TimeArrival DateArrival ArrivalMode
ChiefComplaint Disposition DateDisposition TimeDis
position DischDX
Test-Treatment
Accession NO Test ID DTime Order DTime
Collect DTime Complete
Physician
DrNumber
23Figure 5-4. Relationship Between Conceptual and
External Views
24Use of New Approaches for Analysis and Design
- Content of a conceptual or business data model
- A business data model usually contains the
following elements - Diagram provides a picture of the data needs of
the enterprise - Glossary defines every name that is documented on
the data diagram (Figure 5-5) - Narratives help explain what the diagram and
glossary mean, which are useful adjuncts to
communicate to both users and developers what the
data model diagram is trying to convey - Access pattern is important for the physical
database developer to know what data are
accessed, how often these data are accessed, and
in what order they are accessed
25Figure 5-5Glossary Description
26Use of New Approaches for Analysis and Design
- Regardless of methodology, there are several
common concepts shared - All information is based on entities and
relationships among them - Additionally, an attribute is a fact or piece of
information describing an entity - The data model diagram names each entity, defines
each entity by its attributes, and show
relationships among various entities (Fig. 5-7)
- Data modeling methods and styles
- Popular data modeling methods (Figure 5-6)
- Chen entity relationship (ER)
- Information engineering (IE)
- Nijssens information analysis methodology (NIAM)
27Figure 5-6Comparison of Conceptual Data Model
Notations
CHEN-ER Diagram
Information Engineering Diagram
Bubble Diagram
28Figure 5-7Relationship Between Patient and
Emergency Encounter
Entity
ENCOUNTER NO ENCOUNTER DATE CHIEF
COMPLAINT ATTENDING MD NO
Emergency Department Encounter
Relationship
Attribute
29Use of New Approaches for Analysis and Design
- Steps in the data modeling process
- Formation of the data modeling/planning team
- Determination of the planning tools that will be
used - Studying user requirements and defining these
through the use of data modeling diagrams - Development of the database design
30Use of New Approaches for Analysis and Design
Steps in the data modeling process
- 2. Determination of the planning tools that will
be used - CASE software helps create and compile various
types of analysis tools, such as data flow
diagrams (DFDs, see Fig. 5-8), data dictionaries
(DDs), entity relationship diagrams (ERDs), and
other charts, tables, and schematics - CASE provides an convenient and effective
mechanism to update data model diagrams, charts,
and tables - CASE imposes standardization
- CASE allows for automatic consistency checks
- Formation of the data modeling/planning team
- The team will be composed of user
representatives, IS analysts, and database
specialists - Must have support of top management
- Must have a clear understanding about the
purpose, expected outcomes, and benefits of the
projects
31Figure 5-8Sample Data Flow Diagram
RegisterPatient
Transformation orOperation
Patient
External entity
Registration Data
RegisterPatient
Data flow
Admit Data
RegisterPatient
RegisterPatient
Order Sheet
History and Physical Progress Notes
Test Results
Patient File
Database
32Use of New Approaches for Analysis and Design
Steps in the data modeling process
- 3. Defining user requirements
- Identify the scope of the project
- Collect data about the user requirements
- Adjuncts and aids in identifying user
requirements - Document data flows, data relationships, uses,
and requirements
- 4. Development of the database design
- See the following Section and the following
Chapter
33Developing Data Model Diagrams
- As mentioned in the previous section, Chen-ER,
NIAM, and IE methods are popular methods for
development of data model diagrams - In this section IE method developed by James
Martin is used to illustrate how a data model
diagram may be developed because of its
popularity, ease of use, and concept of top-down
development
34Developing Data Model DiagramsOutline
- Martin IE style
- Stage of the Martin IE method
- IE concepts and methods of notation
- Identifying primary entities
- Identifying relationships among entities
- Determining primary and alternate identifiers
- Determining non-key attributes
- Validating the model through normalization
- Determining alternate business rules
- Integrating the model with existing models
- Analysis for stability and growth
- A sample data modeling diagram project
- Translation of the conceptual data model to a
physical data model - Process modeling techniques
- Data flow diagrams
- Data flow diagram hierarchy
- Use cases
- Object-oriented modeling
- O-O modeling concepts
- Unified modeling language
- Benefits of O-O modeling
35Martin IE style
- Stages of the Martin IE method
- 1. Information strategy planning
- Concerns how IS can support the strategic goals
and how IT can be used to improve competitive
position - Technological opportunities are identified to
support CSFs - ISP includes the basic functions of the
enterprise and produces an overview ERD of the
enterprise, its departments, and its functions - 2. Business area analysis
- CSFs determine (1) which business areas should be
the top priorities for analysis (2) what are the
processes and data necessary to make these unit
operate optimally and (3) how do the work
processes and data interrelate
- 3. System design stage
- Decomposition diagrams, DFDs, data structure
diagrams, as well as screen and report layout are
used at this stage - 4. Construction of the system
- Use of code generator to generate computer code
- Supervision and control of transforming logical
and physical design specifications to
implementation of the physical system design - Tasks include (1) developing an implementation
schedule, monitoring and controlling
implementation, creating programs and data
structures, and developing user and program
documentation
36Martin IE style
IE concepts and methods of notation
- There are several mechanical steps in the
development of a data model. Each should be done
in sequence to help in developing a robust model - Identifying primary entities
- Identifying relationships among entities
- Determining primary and alternate identifiers
- Determining all non-key attributes
- Validating the model through normalization
- Determining attribute business rules
- Integrating the model with existing models
- Analyzing the model for stability and growth
37Martin IE style
IE concepts and methods of notation
- Identifying primary entities
- To develop a data model, entities must be
identified, their attributes must be defined, and
relationships between entities must be described - An entity is anything about which data can be
stored, which is usually a noun (Figure 5-9)
Figure 5-9. Entity Representation
38Martin IE style
IE concepts and methods of notation
- Identifying relationships among entities
- Relationships are usually verbs
- Many different types of relations among data
- One-to-one (Fig. 5-10)
- One-to-many (Fig. 5-11)
- Many-to-many (Fig. 5-12)
- One-many-none (Fig. 5-13)
- One and only one (Fig. 5-14)
Figure 5-10. One-to-One Relationship
ID Number Name Sex Birthdate Address
Bed Number
Patient
Bed
39Figure 5-12. Many-to-Many Relationship
Figure 5-11. One-to-Many Relationship
ID Number Name Sex Birthdate Address
Order ID Date Time
Patient
Order
ID Number Name Sex Birthdate Address
Order ID Date Time
Patient
Order
40Figure 5-14. One and Only One Relationship
Figure 5-13. One-Many-None Relationship
ID Number Name Sex Birthdate Address
Test ID Test Name
Patient
Test
ID Number Name Sex Birthdate Address
Clinic ID Clinic Name
Patient
Clinic
41Martin IE style
IE concepts and methods of notation
- Determining primary and alternate identifiers
- Primary key
- An attribute (or a set of attributes) that
uniquely identify a particular occurrence of an
entity (i.e. Medical Record in Table 5-4) - Secondary key
- Attributes chosen as alternatives for identifying
specific instances of an entity (i.e.
LNAMEBDATESEX)
- Determining non-key attributes
- After primary and secondary attributes are
identified, non-key attributes are identified - Non-key attributes are descriptions that are
associated with the entity - Example STREET, ADDRESS, etc.
42Table 5-4. Example of Entity Patient
Primary key
Primary key
Non-key attributes
43Martin IE style
IE concepts and methods of notation
- Validating the model through normalization
- Normalization refers to how data items are
grouped together - Examining groups of data to determine structural
redundancies or inconsistencies due to wrong
assignments (i.e. associate lab test to
patient rather than lab test
- Determining attribute business rules
- Business rules
- govern the integrity of an entity and determine
certain properties or values that an attribute
may have. For example, data type, length, format,
uniqueness of value, allowable values, and
default values - Also refer to triggering operations which are
rules that determine the correctness or
incorrectness of data values
44Martin IE style
IE concepts and methods of notation
- Integrating the model with existing models
- In practice, data models for different functions
are developed in parallel or sequentially, hence
inconsistencies and overlaps will occur during
consolidation - Consolidation of data model consists of comparing
mappings and definitions of the models and the
business conceptual schema
- Analysis for stability and growth
- Future significant changes should be incorporated
into the data model so that it will need to be
changed frequently and thus remain stable while
still allowing for growth
45A sample data modeling diagram project
- Mt. Pleasant Hospital has completed its strategic
planning process and has identified five CSFs - Provide quality care
- Have efficient operations
- Develop good physician relations
- Obtain optimal reimbursement and care mix
- Have a high perception of efficiency and service
- The Emergency Department was identified as a
priority area because it was associated with all
five CSFs - There was room for improvement in the QOC
provided in the ED - The operations of ED were less than efficiency
- Attending physicians has complained on numerous
occasions about ED inefficiencies - Data for patient bill generation were not
satisfactory - Patient satisfaction surveys has indicated that
patients who used the ED were less than favorable
about wait times
46A sample data modeling diagram project
- Steps in evaluating the ED
- To form a team of users, analysts, and database
specialists to identify data flow in the
department and result in the DFD appears in
Figure 5-15 - To collect some demographic information about the
patient care and flow in the ED - To design the IS needed for ED support by
reviewing the enterprise data model diagram, as
shown in Figure 5-16 - The shaded part in Figure 5-17 shows the entities
of interest for developing the ED IS - Figure 5-18 provides a schematic of the principal
entities, their relationships, and attributes
that represent the ED functions
47Figure 5-15 Data Flow of ED Process
Patients arrive either by walk-in or some other
ways (helicopter, ambulance, etc.)
1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 indicates five department
entities represented with Level 0 DFD
48Figure 5-16 Enterprise Data Model ED Conceptual
Schema
ED is an entity with a one-to-one relationship
with Mt. Pleasant hospital
Other entities related to the ED
49Figure 5-17 Patient Encounter Relationships
The shaded parts show the entities of interest
for developing the ED IS
50Figure 5-18 Conceptual ED Data Model
- Six entities
- Patient
- Payer
- Encounter
- Professional staff
- Physician
- Test/treatment
51Interpretation of data model
52Translation of the conceptual data model to a
physical data model
- Once the conceptual model diagram has been
developed, it can be translated into a physical
database design - Translation steps
- Creating relationships in the physical design
- Translating into records, fields, and sets
- Implementing primary and secondary keys
- CASE tools can be used for this translation
- Figure 5-19 represents the physical database
design for the ED example
53Figure 5-19 Physical Data Model
54Translation of the conceptual data model to a
physical data model
- Process modeling techniques
- In addition to data model, process model such as
DFDs and use cases are needed for the technical
development team. - Data flow diagram
- Figure 5-15 is used to explain how a DFD is
constructed and how it is used in the system
development - DFDs are used to analyzed and design the inputs,
processes, outputs, storages, and control
requirements of an IS - Data flow diagram hierarchy
- All business processes are too complex to be
defined in one DFD, hence most process models are
composed of a set of DFDs - Use cases
55Translation of the conceptual data model to a
physical data model
Process modeling techniques
- Data flow diagram
- Logical DFD
- Models the processes that must be performed but
does not tell how to be performed - Physical DFD
- Specifies the details of a systems
implementation - DFD symbols and notation
- External entities
- Process
- Data store
- Data flow
External Entity
Process
Data Store
Data Flow
Figure 5-20. DFD Symbols and Notation
56Translation of the conceptual data model to a
physical data model
Process modeling techniques
- Data flow diagram hierarchy
- DFDs successively break down the process until
the most atomic parts of the process are
described - Context level The first DFD since it provides a
summary of the overall system (Figure 5-21) - Level 0 The next level of DFD. It shows all the
processes at the first level (Fig. 5-15 - Level 1 Each process on the level 0 diagram is
decomposed further in a level 1 - Level 2 process can be further broken into level
2 and even level 3 diagrams - Balancing principle information presented in a
DFD at one level is accurately represented in the
next DFD
57Figure 5-21. Data Flow Context Diagram
Patient Data
Patient Data
Follow-up and Discharge Instruction
Current Patient Data
58Translation of the conceptual data model to a
physical data model
Process modeling techniques
- Data flow diagram hierarchy
- Data flow diagramming
- Fig. 5-21 shows emergency room treatment at the
context level - Figure 5-15 is a Level 0 DFD, which is an
exploration of the context level - The DFD in Figure 5-15 would need to be exploded
to a Level 1 diagram for each of various
processes - In constructing DFDS, there are a few conventions
that must be considered (Figure 5-22)
- Combining DFDs and ERDs
- The ERDs define the nature and structure of the
data base while DFDs defines the processes that
must be supported by the IS - Absence of the DFDs, it would not have the
necessary information to write the software
program code that would run the IS
59Figure 5-22. Illegal DFD Construction
Data may not flow directly from an external
entity to a date store. A process that transforms
the data in some way must intervene.
Data may not flow from one store to another. A
process that transforms the data in some way must
intervene.
Data may not flow from an external entity to
another external entity. If no internal process
is performed on the data, the data flow should
not be represented in the DFD.
Data may not flow from a store to an external
entity. A process that transforms the data in
some way must intervene.
A black hole is a process or data that receives
input data but produces no output data. All
processes must have both input and output.
60Translation of the conceptual data model to a
physical data model
- Use Cases
- A type of process modeling that originated in
object-oriented modeling - A set of activities that the system performs to
produce some output result - Scenarios of all the activities that are
necessary to support a process - In some instances, user case is developed instead
of a DFD, while in others, as an adjunct to the
DFD, providing more specific information
- Elements of the user case
- Descriptive name
- Identification number, which can correspond to
the process number in the DFD - Short description
- Trigger or event that causes the process or user
case to begin - Major input and outputs
- Major steps that need to be performed for each
process - Figure 5-23
61Figure 5-23. Use Case Example
62Object-Oriented Modeling
- Incorporate both data and processes as the
building blocks for systems analysis and design - Object-oriented modeling concepts
- Object contain attributes (properties) and
behaviors (methods or processes) - Encapsulation addition of behaviors to an entity
object - Class is a template by which specific instances
of an object can be created - Inheritance subclasses inherit attributes and
methods from their superclass - Messages are information sent among objects that
trigger behaviors - Polymorphism means a specific behavior may be
completed differently for different objects
- Unified modeling language
- Includes nine types of diagram user case, class,
object, sequence, collaboration, state, activity,
component, and deployment - Process for performing O-O modeling
- Modeling functions
- Identify all business objects
- Develop a class diagram
- Model behavior of the objects
- Benefits of O-O modeling
- Integrates both data and processes
- Modularity allows the analyst to break the
system into small, manageable pieces that can be
combined to create a total system