Implementing technology solutions has gone from being a dream of researchers and visionaries
to becoming a business necessity.
Two highly visible forces have driven this change.The first is
public awareness of high rates of avoidable
errors in healthcare. The second is the demonstration that
IT systems can reduce medical errors and costs significantly.
In
the most careful study to-date, the Center for Information
Technology Leadership estimates that the adoption of high-performance ambulatory computerized physician order entry could save a total of $44 billion each year in healthcare costs.
Health information technology, from electronic prescribing to digital imaging to electronic health records to clinical decision support, is a critical part of the solution to the issues of health care costs and medical errors.
Despite the powerful forces now driving adoption of IT systems, many care delivery organizations (CDOs—defined as any organization, large or small, that performs patient diagnosis and treatment), along with the majority of independent physician practices, continue to find challenges in implementing a high performance IT solution.
Preparation - Having determined the cause and effect the technology product will have during the implementation, after the installation and as other future products are implemented will help you realize the cost benefit the specific solution will bring.
Implementation - Implementation of any product occurs immediately after a contract is signed or a technology solution is purchased. The importance of project planning and management of this installation phase must be emphasized. Process redesign is required to take full advantage of the products benefits.
Training - Training is a part of implementation that occurs both before, during and after a product installation. The training criteria will be different based on the individual obtaining the training and the specific purpose of the training criteria. "Ease Of Use" and "Intuitive To Use" are only truly realized when the proper training has been provided by the vendor.
Maintenance - How your product is supported, maintained and future improvements implemented by the vendor is as important as the functions of the product itself. The support strategy will determine how effectively your staff will use the product today and continue to interface with the installed solution in the future.
