By Moo Young Baek
The conversation in class reminds me of my two experiences implementing electronics based systems. Regardless of whether it is in healthcare or not, there is a lot of time and energy that needs to be invested in the planning portion to ensure that both the users and the IT staff are communicating and both sides understand that they need to co-create a system that works for the betterment of end-users. In my experience at Penn, because the electronic system was used more for inventory purposes, the issues were minimized. However, my experience at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance was a lot more painful and uncomfortable as it impacted patient care. Over months, the project managers along with the IT team and super users wrestled with how to best translate a paper based ordering process to an electronic one. Many assumed making physicians' orders computer based would save time and would cause better quality as those who received the orders would not have to decipher physicians' handwriting. Unfortunately things were too cumbersome and the recommendations given by those who would do the work and be impacted by the layout of the new system was not taken as seriously as it should have.
The conversation in class reminds me of my two experiences implementing electronics based systems. Regardless of whether it is in healthcare or not, there is a lot of time and energy that needs to be invested in the planning portion to ensure that both the users and the IT staff are communicating and both sides understand that they need to co-create a system that works for the betterment of end-users. In my experience at Penn, because the electronic system was used more for inventory purposes, the issues were minimized. However, my experience at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance was a lot more painful and uncomfortable as it impacted patient care. Over months, the project managers along with the IT team and super users wrestled with how to best translate a paper based ordering process to an electronic one. Many assumed making physicians' orders computer based would save time and would cause better quality as those who received the orders would not have to decipher physicians' handwriting. Unfortunately things were too cumbersome and the recommendations given by those who would do the work and be impacted by the layout of the new system was not taken as seriously as it should have.
"Go Live"
came and interestingly enough, it tested many employees. The transition over the next few months were
rough. Support staff received an
additional monitor for the extra clicks and windows that needed to stay open,
but providers had the most difficult time.
Although brilliant, many could not bear with the transition and relieved
their frustrations toward the CMIO.
Fortunately for him and the other providers, his skills of being a very
good people person as well as being very familiar with the challenges of
clinical duties that were interrupted by the new system allowed him to have
empathy for his colleagues, but also a sound board for what new changes needed
to be made. It was interesting that the
IT team and project managers had considered the users' recommendations more
seriously after "go live" because they knew the inefficiencies and
safety concerns for the patients. I
think the recommendations were also taken more seriously because the SCCA had
already invested so much money to go through with this, there really was no
turning back.
The last I heard,
people are still struggling with it.
However, the people I met while at SCCA are very resilient and have
grit. No matter what the circumstances,
they work it through. Even when things
are still challenging and they are facing the proposal of a new system, people
have not abandoned their jobs and responsibilities. I think it was a lesson learned and only
learned through failure.
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