Research Article
A Design Science Framework for Acupuncture Integration into Iran's National EHR: Developing and Demonstrating a Six-Dimension Solution
Farshid Bidouei*
,
Farnoosh Bidouee
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
57-70
Received:
9 June 2026
Accepted:
3 July 2026
Published:
28 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijmri.20260204.11
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Views:
Abstract: Iran's national Electronic Health Record (EHR) system (SEPAS) and its acupuncture sector operate in parallel without any mechanism for integrating acupuncture-specific clinical data, with prior gap analysis identifying six interdependent problem categories. To develop a context-specific implementation and integration plan for acupuncture-EHR interoperability within Iran's SEPAS infrastructure, we used Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to structure the adaptation of existing international standards to the Iranian context. Following DSR guidelines, we developed an artifact through problem and requirement analysis (document analysis of 34 sources plus international benchmarking), design synthesis (framework, Minimum Data Set (MDS), technical mappings, roadmap, training), demonstration via illustrative case, and evaluation via criteria-referenced assessment plus expert appraisal (n=18). The artifact satisfies all twelve design requirements derived from the gap analysis, with expert appraisal confirming framework completeness (mean 4.6/5), internal consistency (mean 4.5/5), and practical utility (mean 4.4/5), while specification-based assessment indicates compatibility with SEPAS specifications, International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision Traditional Medicine (ICD?11 TM) terminology mapping, open Electronic Health Record (openEHR) archetype formalism, and alignment with Chinese T/CIATCM 016?2019 standards. The paper's primary contribution is a specification that satisfies its design requirements for acupuncture within Iran's SEPAS—demonstrating how existing international standards can be systematically adapted to a novel national health information context—and the DSR methodology provides the structuring framework for this adaptation process, which is replicable for other traditional medicine modalities.
Abstract: Iran's national Electronic Health Record (EHR) system (SEPAS) and its acupuncture sector operate in parallel without any mechanism for integrating acupuncture-specific clinical data, with prior gap analysis identifying six interdependent problem categories. To develop a context-specific implementation and integration plan for acupuncture-EHR intero...
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