HIT Success Extends Well Beyond The Implementation Stage

By Dawn Knight, The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Walk into virtually any hospital or ASC and you’re almost guaranteed to see stacks of papers and binders of information somewhere. For most people this sight may appear to be simply “business as usual.” However, to the discerning eye, they are red flags.

Whether mandated or in response to increasing pressure to streamline processes and create greater efficiencies, hospitals, health systems and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) spend big money on healthcare IT. Yet, too often this technology is under-utilized, if utilized at all. Resistance to technology, a lack of understanding of how to use the technology and poor user training are just some of the reasons staff resort back to what they know and are most comfortable with—paper.

Having spent many years in a large health system hospital environment, and now in my current role as CEO of a surgery center, what surprises me the most is hospitals and ASCs share many of the same struggles when it comes to healthcare IT. I’ve witnessed long-term healthcare IT implementation success. I also have seen healthcare IT efforts fizzle quickly or never truly take off at all. By sharing what I’ve learned along the way, it is my hope to help others create long-term healthcare IT success. Consider the following.

Watch For Red Flags

Paper trails are an obvious sign that technology is not in use, or its use is very limited. If you see binders or stacks of paper, inquire about their purpose. More often than not, you’ll find technology exists that eliminates these paper-based processes, yet employees either don’t know how to use the technology or are resistant to changing the way they’ve always done things (on paper).

Another red flag is how employees use technology. If it seems “too basic,” chances are it is greatly under deployed. Because the technology is already purchased and installed, you should have a point of connection with the vendor. Call the vendor to see how their technology is designed to be utilized. For example, when I joined The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery, employees were using a system called Casetabs as a simple repository for names and phone numbers of surgical team members (physicians, physician offices, anesthesiologists, vendor reps, etc.). After a meeting with the vendor and a field trip to another center that had the system fully deployed, my suspicions were confirmed that the product was grossly underutilized at our facility.

Despite the Casetabs application being very easy to use, multiple leadership changes and an interim CEO who did not fully embrace technology meant employees were not educated on the product. Therefore, they had no idea it was a full-scale surgery coordination and scheduling application. As a result, they used a separate program for scheduling. And, to coordinate case changes and share information among case members (including anesthesiologists, physicians and vendor reps) they used old-school phone, fax and text processes.

Roadblocks To IT Success

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of new technology and all the bells and whistles. However, once deployed without thorough training and follow-up, it’s difficult to remember all the great things the product does. This is especially true in a busy surgical environment.

Beyond the resistors who will avoid technology for as long as they can, one of the biggest roadblocks to long-term healthcare IT success is lack of knowledge. If an employee doesn’t understand the technology, including how it fits into their workflow and the problem the technology solves, they will not use it. For healthcare IT deployments to be effective everyone must be sufficiently educated, trained and committed to using the technology

Achieving Long-Term Success

There is great technology out there that many hospitals and surgery centers lack, simply because they don’t approach it the right way. Healthcare IT deployments are successful when everyone understands what the technology is designed to do for individuals and their organization. Below are three recommendations for long-term implementation success.

1. Technology adoption must start at the top. The push to use technology must come from the top down and at the local level. If the person managing day-to-day operations at a hospital or ASC isn’t an advocate for technology, success will be impossible to achieve. Look for technology champions to help get others excited. These people are curious as to how things work, they are advocates for technology that streamline processes and create efficiency, and they want others to be excited about the possibilities.
    
2. Foster an environment of trust. There is still an old-school mentality that exists when it comes to technology. Many believe that storing and sharing protected health information (PHI) electronically is not safe; this belief is compounded by the fear of HIPPA non-compliance. Encourage employees to push through fear and trust the technology you have selected. Proactively communicate the safeguards that are in place and follow up with vendor training to ensure end user compliance. An individual’s comfort-level with technology will dictate whether they use it. Let employees know it is okay to ask questions along the way.
    
3. Demand more from your vendor. It’s one thing to talk about technology; to list features and benefits of a particular solution, but what happens after it is deployed? Employees need coaching in the moment and then trouble shooting along the way. It is well worth the time and initial inconvenience to pull employees away from their duties to meet with the vendor and actually learn the technology. Vendors should also take the time to learn your processes and your needs. Otherwise, you won’t realize the full benefits of their solution.
   
   The vendor relationship is very important. Good vendors want to help. As we learned circling back with Casetabs, they want you to succeed. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask them questions. And if there is pushback, look for another vendor that will work with you.

The old saying, “it takes a village,” is true when it comes to deploying healthcare IT. With the right processes, leadership and vendor support it is possible to achieve long-term healthcare IT success. Rather than tell employees how something works, demonstrate how, and provide training and access to ongoing support so everyone understands the technology and their role in using it successfully.

About The Author

Dawn Knight is CEO of The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery, a member of Surgical Care Affiliates.