The majority of implementation issues, she says, involve:
· Design and roll-out (timelines that are too long, a lack of in-house expertise and fixation on the technology itself and not the users)
· Workforce considerations (aging workforce and the disruptive change that comes from transformational technologies)
· Organizational issues (change from the traditional dynamic that puts clinicians in charge)
Because of the competitive market of today, hospitals are reexamining their approach to key initiatives. It’s also important, she says, to realize that technology alone doesn’t make hospitals safer; hospitals need transformation to bridge technology with efficient workflow, and leadership has the power to position the organization for change.
Leadership can do this by creating the case for transformation (by establishing goals around patient safety, etc), establishing a vision for the end-point, leaving the details to those with specific expertise if possible (such as lean experts), and focusing on initiatives that have the greatest value.
Implementing systems like CPOE, says Hammel-Jones, isn’t about simply adopting technologies; it’s about using clinical transformation in a manner that’s consistent with achieving intended results while empowering users.
Once a technology is installed, an organization should be able to answer the following questions:
· Can we tell the patient’s story?
· Is technology the barrier to improve pt outcome or the enabler?
· Does the task add value?
· Is there redundancy in documentation or tasks?
· Can the technology get us to where we need to go?
If not, it’s back to the drawing board.
