Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
This is the 2nd part of the assignment project. You are doing the 2nd part. Please read the instruction very well. Its a 17 page project assignment. I have attach the grading rubric and other resources are listed on the assignment instructions. The class is all about Transforming Nursing and Healthcare Through Technology. Please continue the nursing project/Topics you choose for the first part to make it easy. This is why I select the writer 1747. Please, I need the assignment on time to allow me time to fix any issues and verify the plagiarisms score. I will do the PowerPoint myself. Please just focus on the project assignment. Thanks Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
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The proposed informatics project to be implemented in the healthcare organization aims at improving communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving home healthcare services between clinical visits. Healthcare professionals are required to visit patients receiving home healthcare services at their residences to provide them with quality and regular healthcare services. However, direct communication between patients and their healthcare providers in between appointments results in positive health outcomes, including adhering to the prescribed medication’ which improves the patient’s health status, quality of life, and overall well-being. On the contrary, a lack of effective communication between healthcare professionals and patients results in non-adherence to the treatment regimen, resulting in adverse health outcomes, including hospital readmissions and high morbidity and mortality rates. Thus, this project proposes an alternative communication channel between the healthcare provider and patient, increasing home healthcare patients’ adherence to the prescribed treatment regimen. This project will include requirements for developing scope and charter documents, SWOT analysis for the proposed project, gap analysis map, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Project Timeline Gantt chart, RACI, communication plan, and change management plan, risk management plan, and a reflection of lessons learned.
Developing Project’s Scope and Charter Documents
Project scope and charter documents significantly contribute to the successful implementation of a proposed project. Having a conversation with the nurse leader will inform the project team about the materials and resources needed to develop the scope of the project and charter documents Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
Project’s Scope
Project scope is a significant component of project planning. The scope helps the project team to narrow down specific project goals, deliverables, costs, and deadlines. First, the project scope defines the project’s goal which involves implementing health information technology (HIT). Secondly, the scope defines the project’s deliverables, which will involve using HIT to facilitate communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving healthcare services in a home-based setting. According to Lee et al. (2020), healthcare information technology supports communication between healthcare professionals and patients, receiving virtual healthcare services, resulting in positive health outcomes. Healthcare providers will utilize various communication modes, including telephone, email, video conferencing, short message service [SMS], and downloading information manually to communicate with patients who are receiving healthcare services in a home setting. Thirdly, the scope includes project acceptance criteria. The organization will review and approve the installed HIT before incorporating it into clinical practices to support communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving healthcare services at home settings. Furthermore, the scope defines project exclusions. The project will not cover payment to external vendors for services provided during project implementation. Lastly, the scope defines project constraints. These are issues that might compromise the successful implementation of HIT, including lack of effective communication among the team members, changes in scope, lack of essential resources, or technical issues.
Charter Documents
The project charter provides significant details of the proposed project. A project charter includes the scope, objectives, and individuals involved in the project and their respective roles during project execution. It is a planning document, which sells the project to potential sponsors and stakeholders. Therefore, the charter determines if a proposed project will be approved before being executed. The Charter for the proposed project, includes project purpose, requirements, overall project risk, preapproved financial resources, a summary of milestone schedule, measurable project objectives, and a list of key stakeholders, including healthcare organization’s management, healthcare providers, and patients receiving treatment services at home setting.
Conducting SWOT Analysis for the Proposed Project
SWOT analysis is the evaluation of internal and external environments to determine the likelihood of success for a new project. The analysis of the internal environment covers factors that the organization can control, including the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, the analysis of external factors includes factors that the organization cannot control, including opportunities and threats. However, these factors are likely to influence the successful implementation of the proposed project. The table below illustrates internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (Opportunities and threats).
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Strengths
· A clearly defined project scope · Organization’s support for high-level technology · Availability of highly-competent project team members · Supportive stakeholders |
Weaknesses
· Lack of required financial resources · Failure to meet scheduled milestones · Inadequate training of the role group · Lack of the required maintenance services
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Opportunities
· The likelihood of the proposed HIT being supported by other units within the organization · Receiving financial support from sponsors who might be interested in the project · Facilitating collaboration among interdisciplinary team members from various healthcare organizations during the delivery of virtual healthcare.
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Threats
· Breaching HIPAA Privacy and security rules · Lack of the required communication channels · Poor communication network |
Analysis of the Internal Environment
Internal factors, including strengths and weaknesses, will significantly impact the implementation of the HIT in the healthcare organization.
Strengths
The organization’s strengths will contribute to the successful implementation of the proposed project. The first strength is a clearly defined project scope, including goals, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and constraints. The scope indicates the desired project’s outcomes, thus guiding the project team during the implementation process. Additionally, the scope indicates constraints that are likely to hinder the successful implementation of the proposed project. Hence, the project team should resolve the anticipate constraints before project execution, contributing to the successful implementation process.
The second strength is the organization’s support for high-level technology. The proposed HIT will support various activities, including the collection, analysis, and storage of patients’ health-related information. Hence, the successful implementation of HIT in the healthcare organization significantly depends on the technology level supported by the organization. The HIT will be successfully implemented since the organization supports high-level technology.
The third strength is the availability of highly-competent project team members. Team members, including project developers, trainers, and IT experts will play various roles during project implementation; hence impacting the implementation process significantly. The project developers will design and install a HIT that will effectively facilitate communication between healthcare providers and Patients receiving healthcare services in a home setting. According to Alotaibi and Federico (2017)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment, HIT supports the delivery of virtual healthcare services, improving the quality of patient care and health outcomes. The HIT enhances surveillance and monitoring and adherence to guideline-based care, resulting in positive health outcomes. Professional trainers will educate the role group, particularly healthcare providers on how to use the HIT to communicate with patients. The IT experts will maintain the HIT to ensure it effectively facilitates communication between healthcare providers and their patients.
The last strength involves having supportive stakeholders, including healthcare organization’s management, healthcare providers, and patients receiving treatment services in a home setting. The management will approve the project before being implemented in the healthcare organization. The project cannot be executed in the organization without management’s approval. Additionally, the management will provide resources needed to facilitate the implementation process, including finances and non-monetary resources. Healthcare providers and patients receiving treatment services in a home setting will utilize the HIT while communicating in-between visits. The project cannot be successfully implemented if healthcare professionals and patients are reluctant to embrace it. Having supportive stakeholders will contribute to the successful implementation of HIT in the healthcare organization. Therefore, the organization should maximize its strengths to contribute to the successful implementation of the proposed project.
Weaknesses
An organization’s weaknesses will also influence the implementation of the HIT. The first weakness is the lack of required finances. Funds will be required to facilitate the installation of the HIT, including compensating system developers and trainers. Hence, the inadequacy of financial resources will compromise project implementation. The second weakness involves the failure to meet scheduled milestones. The project will be subdivided into milestones to enable the project team to monitor the implementation process. However, milestones might not be completed as planned, making the project team failed to meet the deadline. Another weakness is inadequate training of the role group. The HIT is anticipated to facilitate communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving treatment services in a home setting. Thus, failure to train the healthcare providers and patients on how to use HIT in communication will compromise the successful implementation of the proposed project. The last weakness that might affect the HIT is lack of the regular maintenance services. The HIT should be well-maintained to facilitate communication between healthcare providers and their patients. Thus, the healthcare organization should focus on addressing these weaknesses to contribute to the successful implementation of HIT Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
Analysis of the External Environment
Implementation of HIT in the organization will be influenced by external factors, including opportunities and threats.
Opportunities
The first opportunity involves the likelihood of the proposed HIT being supported by other units within the organization. The HIT will primarily be implemented to support communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving treatment services in a home setting. However, various units within the healthcare organization might adopt healthcare information technology due to its benefits, including improving the quality of patient care, enhancing workflow efficiency, facilitating communication among healthcare providers, and preventing medical errors (Alotaibi & Federico, 2017). The second opportunity involves receiving financial support from sponsors who might be interested in the project. HIT improves the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes (Alolayyan et al., 2020). Thus, potential sponsors might fund the implementation of HIT, contributing to quality patient care and positive health outcomes in the organization. Lastly, the HIT will facilitate collaboration among healthcare providers during the delivery of healthcare services. Interdisciplinary team members from various healthcare organizations who are involved in the provision of virtual healthcare services rely on patients’ health-related data stored in EHR in making clinical decisions during the treatment process (Vos et al., 2020). Thus, HIT will enable interdisciplinary team members to provide patients with quality and safe remote healthcare services, resulting in positive health outcomes.
Threats
The first threat facing the implementation of HIT is healthcare providers’ breach of the HIPAA Privacy and security rules. Healthcare information stored in the EHR system might be accessed or used by unauthorized parties resulting in security bleach (She et al., 2020)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. If such an incident occurs, healthcare providers might face financial penalties or termination of their contracts. Additionally, lack of the required communication channels and poor communication network will compromise the successful implementation of HIT.
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Gap Analysis Map
The existing gap that requires to be addressed is the lack of effective communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving treatment services in a home setting between visits. This clinical issue will be visually represented using a Gap Analysis map. The gap analysis map reviews and identifies the content required to fill a “gap,” existing between the current state of an organization and the desired future state (Fernandez et al., 2019). Gap analysis guides an organization in figuring out how to move from the current state to a better position. The gap indicates flow from the initial state to the destination. The Gap analysis map below indicates the organization’s current communication strategies to the desired communication approaches.
The diagram above indicates the organization’s current communication state (Using traditional communication channels. These channels hinder effective communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving home-based healthcare services, resulting in adverse health outcomes, including non-adherence to the prescribed treatment regimen. According to Usherwood (2017), non-adherence to the prescribed medication compromises the drug’s capacity to effectively manage or treat the presented clinical manifestations. In the event of ineffective communication, the healthcare provider fails to remind the patient regularly to take the prescribed medication. Additionally, the healthcare professional fails to educate the patient regarding the dangers of drug non-compliance, increasing the possibility of non-adherence to the prescribed treatment regimen, which leads to further complications, readmission, and high cost of care. The analysis gap also indicates how the organization will achieve the desired communication state by installing HIT and educating the healthcare providers and patients on how to use mobile technologies in their communication in-between visits. Educating the group role is an important part of project implementation since it equips the role group with the knowledge and skills needed for the successful implementation of the proposed project. Lastly, the gap indicates the desired outcomes (Using HIT-supported communication) via mobile technology communication channels, including video‐conferencing, secure messaging, and mobile applications. According to Gonçalves-Bradley et al. (2020), mobile technology communication channels facilitate the transmission of vital clinical information between healthcare providers and patients in the provision of virtual healthcare. Therefore, using mobile technology communication channels, including video‐conferencing, secure messaging, and mobile applications will result in effective communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving home-based healthcare services, improving overall health outcomes Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A WBS will guide the implementation of the proposed EBP project. A work breakdown structure is a hierarchical outline of tasks performed to complete a particular project. The WBS allows the project team to break down the proposed project into manageable deliverables. The diagram below indicates a breakdown of activities to be completed during project implementation.
The implementation of the proposed project will consist of three significant phases, including the pre-implementation stage, the actual implementation of the HIT, and the post-implementation stage.
The pre-implementation stage involves three major activities. The first activity involves reviewing and criticizing existing literature, regarding the use of HIT in enhancing communication between healthcare providers and their patients. Qualitative and quantitative studies, indicating the effectiveness of HIT in enhancing communication between healthcare providers will be selected for the study. The second activity involves identifying and addressing potential barriers such as the lack of knowledge required when using mobile technology in communication. This is a very important aspect of project implementation since barriers are likely to hinder the successful implementation of the proposed project. The third activity involves training the role group. Healthcare providers and patients should be educated on how to utilize channels supported by mobile technology in their communication.
The actual implementation of the proposed project consists of three major activities. The first task is installing HIT in the healthcare organization. Implementing HIT will facilitate various operations, including enhancing communication between healthcare providers and patients. The second activity involves the installation of mobile communication channels, including video‐conferencing, secure messaging, and mobile applications. Nwabueze and Oju (2019) reported the effectiveness of mobile technology apps in enhancing communication between providers and patients in virtual healthcare. The mobile communication apps allow patients to report any clinical issue to the primary care provider and receive immediate feedback, preventing adverse health outcomes. Thus, using these mobile communication channels is anticipated to facilitate communication between healthcare providers and their patients in the home-based care setting. The last activity involves testing the effectiveness of the new system in enhancing communication between healthcare providers and their patients.
The post-implementation phase consists of the evaluation and maintenance of the implemented project. The HIT will be evaluated to determine if anticipated outcomes were achieved. The first evaluation criteria involve obtaining users’ feedback regarding the new system. Positive users’ reviews will indicate that the HIT-supported communication system was successfully implemented in the healthcare organization. Additionally, the project will be reviewed based on health outcomes. Enhanced adherence to the prescribed treatment regimen and a decline in the rate of admission among patients receiving home-based care will indicate that the HIT was successfully implemented in the healthcare organization. On the other hand, maintenance will focus on making necessary adjustments based on users’ feedback regarding the new communication system. Therefore, maintenance will enhance the effectiveness of the HIT in supporting communication between healthcare providers and their patients.
Project Timeline Gantt Chart
A Gantt chart guides the implementation of a new project by defining the time for starting and finishing each activity. The proposed project will be implemented in 12 weeks. Various activities will be performed during this project to contribute to the successful implementation of the project. The Gantt chart below indicates the duration for completing each activity during project implementation.
Duration | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk
4 & Week 5 |
Wk 6 &
Wk 7 |
Wk 8 &
Wk 9 |
Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | |
Activity | Literature critique | Identifying and addressing potential barriers | Educating role group | Installing HIT | Installing mobile communication channels | Testing the new system | Obtaining users’ feedback | Reviewing patient outcomes | Making necessary amendments | |
RACI (Responsibility Chart)
Various individuals are involved in implementing the proposed HIT. The team members will play various roles during project implementation. The RACI chart below indicates the task assigned to each team member during project implementation.
Team member | System developers | Researchers | Professional trainers | Evaluators | IT experts |
Assigned responsibility | System developers will;
v Installing the HIT system. v Test system’s capacity to meet users’ needs
|
They will be involved in;
Criticizing existing literature Selective qualitative and quantitative studies support the use of HIT in enhancing communication between healthcare providers and patients. |
· They will be involved in training healthcare professionals and patients on how to apply HIT in their communication. | They will evaluate if the actual results align with anticipated outcomes based on;
Users’ feedbacks Patient outcomes |
They will be involved in making any necessary amendments to enhance the system’s capacity to enhance communication between healthcare providers and their patients. |
Communication Plan
The project team will constantly communicate with key stakeholders during project implementation. Communication will enable the project team to receive stakeholders’ feedback at every phase of the project implementation. The team members will then make necessary amendments before proceeding to the next process, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation of the proposed project. The status reports will be updated regularly based on communication between the project team and key stakeholders. For instance, the status of a specific phase will be updated as completed if the stakeholders are satisfied with the results and no adjustments are needed. The project team then indicates the next step of the project implementation process. On the other hand, the project team indicates the required changes if amendments are needed based on stakeholders’ feedback Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
Change Management Plan
The project should be implemented based on the initial plan. However, changes are likely to occur in the course of project implementation affecting the anticipated project milestones and time for completing the entire project. In case of change, the project team should make appropriate documentation to prevent the overlapping of two or more activities. For instance, the project team should document amendments for the results of a specific phase based on stakeholders’ feedback. Documenting such activity is important to allow the project time to adjust the time for the next milestone and time for completing the overall project. The stakeholders should also be notified about the changes, especially those affecting project’s timeline and deadlines for completing each milestone.
Risk Management Plan
The implementation of the proposed project might be compromised by various potential risks facing the healthcare organization. For instance, the implementation process might be hindered by an outbreak of a new wave of COVID-19. In the event of an outbreak, the healthcare organization will channel all its efforts to fighting the pandemic; hence not concentrating on the implementation of the proposed project, delaying the completion of various milestones and eventually the entire project. Therefore, the project team should focus on mitigating this risk to increase the likelihood of successful implementation of the change project. The risk of a new wave of COVID-19 can be mitigated by setting aside the project’s funds. Consequently, the healthcare organization will not lack the financial resources needed to cater to the project if the healthcare organization channels all its resources in fighting against the outbreak.
Application of each Tool to the Practice
The developed tool (HIT) can be applied in the practice to enhance clinical operations. Although it is not a new technology, it will be applied in enhancing communication between healthcare providers and patients. Secondly, the HIT will improve the quality of care and patient safety by providing healthcare providers with health-related information needed in making a significant clinical decision during the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Furthermore, HIT will enhance workflow by allowing healthcare providers to access patients’ health-related information documented in the Electronic Healthcare Records (HER). According to Vos et al. (2019)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment, EHR enhances the accessibility of patients’ medical records during treatment, resulting in quality care and positive health outcomes. Thus, implementing HIT will facilitate access to health-related information in the organization, resulting in quality patient care and positive health outcomes.
Stakeholders, leadership, and end users were involved in implementing HIT in the healthcare organization. Stakeholders will provide approval and support needed during project implementation. A new project cannot be implemented in the healthcare organization without the support and approval of key stakeholders. Secondly, the organization’s leaders will support project implementation and provide resources needed during the process, contributing to the successful implementation of the proposed change project. Finally, the end users include the healthcare providers and patients receiving home-based treatment. They will contribute to the successful implementation of the proposed HIT by using mobile technologies, including video‐conferencing, secure messaging, and mobile applications to communicate in-between visits. Using these innovative communication channels is expected to improve communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving healthcare services in a home-based setting.
Implementing the HIT in the healthcare organization might be affected by the onset of the pandemic. Healthcare providers are on the front line in fighting the pandemic leaving them with no time to attend the scheduled training. As a result, they lack the knowledge and skills needed in to effectively use innovative channels in communicating with patients remotely. These changes should be included in the management plan for the deadline for completing the entire project to be adjusted. Making these changes will give healthcare providers time to attend the training sessions. Additionally, COVID-19 preventive measures require people to avoid populated places. Thus, it would be challenging for the targeted patients to attend training programs scheduled at the organization’s premises, since it would increase the risk of contracting the virus. Health information system upgrades are planned to facilitate effective communication between healthcare providers and their patients Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
Part 2: The Final Summary
The completion of this project was an insightful and educative exercise. I learned various steps involved in the successful implementation of the change project. The first step involves identifying the existing gap or a clinical issue that requires to be addressed. In the completed project, the clinical gap that is required to be addressed is ineffective communication between healthcare providers and patients receiving treatment in a home-based setting. Secondly, I learned that the project team members contribute to the successful implementation of the proposed project. Team members play various roles during the implementation process. In this project, the project team included nursing researchers, project developers, project evaluators, the role group (healthcare providers and patients, and IT experts. Furthermore, I learned that all changes made to the initial plan should be documented so that they do not interfere with the timeline for completing a specific milestone or the entire project. Lastly, I learned that the successful implementation of a proposed project might be compromised by potential risks such as an outbreak of the COVID-19 wave. The healthcare organization should set the project’s funds aside to avoid delays in the implementation process in case of uncertainties. Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
References
Alolayyan, M. N., Alyahya, M. S., Alalawin, A. H., Shoukat, A., & Nusairat, F. T. (2020). Health information technology and hospital performance the role of health information quality in teaching hospitals. Heliyon, 6(10), e05040. https://doi.org/10.101
Alotaibi, Y. K., & Federico, F. (2017). The impact of health information technology on patient safety. Saudi medical journal, 38(12), 1173. Doi: 10.15537/smj.2017.12.20631
Fernandez, M. E., Ten Hoor, G. A., Van Lieshout, S., Rodriguez, S. A., Beidas, R. S., Parcel, G., … & Kok, G. (2019). Implementation mapping: using intervention mapping to develop implementation strategies. Frontiers in public health, 7, 158. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00158
Gonçalves-Bradley, D. C., Maria, A. R. J., Ricci-Cabello, I., Villanueva, G., Fønhus, M. S., Glenton, C., … & Shepperd, S. (2020). Mobile technologies to support healthcare provider to healthcare provider communication and management of care. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (8). Doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012927.pub2
Lee, J. L., Rawl, S. M., Dickinson, S., Teal, E., Baker, L. B., Lyu, C., … & Haggstrom, D. A. (2020). Communication about health information technology use between patients and providers. Journal of general internal medicine, 35(9), 2614-2620. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-020-05903-1
Nwabueze, E. E., & Oju, O. (2019). Using mobile application to improve doctor-patient interaction in healthcare delivery system. E-Health Telecommunication Systems and Networks, 8(03), 23. DOI: 10.4236/etsn.2019.83003.
Seh, A. H., Zarour, M., Alenezi, M., Sarkar, A. K., Agrawal, A., Kumar, R., & Ahmad Khan, R. (2020, June). Healthcare data breaches: insights and implications. In Healthcare (Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 133). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. Doi: 10.3390/healthcare8020133. Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
Usherwood, T. (2017). Encouraging adherence to long-term medication. Australian prescriber, 40(4), 147. https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/encouraging-adherence-to-long-term-medication
Vos, J. F., Boonstra, A., Kooistra, A., Seelen, M., & van Offenbeek, M. (2020). The influence of electronic health record use on collaboration among medical specialties. BMC health services research, 20(1), 1-11. https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-020-05542-6
Vos, J. F., Boonstra, A., Kooistra, A., Seelen, M., & van Offenbeek, M. (2020). The influence of electronic health record use on collaboration among medical specialties. BMC health services research, 20(1), 1-11. https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-020-05542-6
Week 5: Data Science: Applications for Practice
Data drives innovations in healthcare. Whether through exploring patient care practices, introducing new care techniques, or providing new lifesaving medicine, data drives the ability to offer these solutions in practice. Data is not compiled, applied, or analyzed using only one approach—therefore, it is important to explore the various strategies used and consider implications, barriers, and impact of data science on nursing practice.
This week, you will analyze the use of data science applications and processes for healthcare organizations and nursing practice. You will also consider and examine approaches for implementation of data science.
This week also serves as the first week in which you will submit a portion of your small nursing informatics project. You will submit Part 1 of your project, and you will begin working on Part 2. Remember, while using project management skills and techniques, the goal of this project is to demonstrate your understanding of nursing informatics through the implementation, or potential implementation, of your proposed small nursing informatics project. Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze data science applications and processes for healthcare organizations and nursing practice
- Evaluate approaches for implementation of data science applications and processes for nursing practice
- Analyze use of predictive analytics for clinical practice
- Develop a small nursing informatics project
- Identify a small nursing informatics project
- Develop a project scope and charter for a nursing informatics project
- Perform a SWOT analysis related to a small nursing informatics project
- Create a GAP analysis for a nursing informatics project
- Analyze the work breakdown structure related to a small nursing informatics project
- Construct a project timeline for a small nursing informatics project
- Identify responsibility roles in small nursing informatics projects
- Develop a communication plan for small nursing informatics projects
- Develop a change management plan for small nursing informatics projects
- Develop a risk management plan for small nursing informatics projects
Course Project Overview: Developing a Small Nursing Informatics Project for Your Organization
You will use project management tools and strategies to propose how you would support and potentially implement a small nursing informatics project. While you may not have the opportunity to implement this proposed project, this project will allow you to apply the skills needed and the considerations that are required in deducing how a project of this scope might take place in your nursing practice. To complete this project, you will define a small informatics project that would be beneficial to your healthcare organization or nursing practice. You can discuss this with upper leadership, in your practice or organization, explaining that you will need to design, plan, and propose how to implement and evaluate a small informatics project that can be completed within a 9-week time frame during this course. This project will be completed in two parts.
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- Part 1 (Due in Week 5):
- During Week 1: Identify and initiate a conversation with a nurse leader at your or healthcare organization or nursing practice. Be sure to mention that you will need to develop Scope and Charter Documents (2 pages).
- Review Chapter 3 in the Sipes (2020) text. The questions and content you need to include in the examples are there. Be sure to differentiate between the Scope (page 61) versus the Charter (page 59)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
- During Week 1: Identify and initiate a conversation with a nurse leader at your or healthcare organization or nursing practice. Be sure to mention that you will need to develop Scope and Charter Documents (2 pages).
- During Weeks 2–5, Project Design: Develop a Scope and Charter. The templates are available in the Sipes text. The first step, the conceptual step or phase 1, is to determine the “who, problem and purpose, and how” you will accomplish this task and what you will and will not do.
- For the Scope document, include all elements for page 61 in the Sipes text. You can use a Word document with table. Consult the “How to Write a Scope of Work Document” media piece provided in this week’s Learning Resources.
- Part 2 will be due in Weeks 9 and 10:
- Use the nursing informatics and project management competencies and concepts to design and plan a project for your organization, in a 17- to 20-page paper, due by Day 7 in Week 9. If time allows based on the type of project, you will also implement and evaluate the outcomes. Each week you will develop and apply a component needed to complete the project.
- Develop a 10- to 15-slide, narrated presentation of your project that you might present to stakeholders in your healthcare organization or nursing practice. You will also share your presentation with your colleagues in a Discussion forum by Day 2 in Week 10. Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
Assignment: Developing a Small Nursing Informatics Project for Your Organization, Part 1
You will use project management tools and strategies to propose how you would support and potentially implement a small nursing informatics project. While you may not have the opportunity to implement this proposed project, this project will allow you to apply the skills needed and the considerations that are required in deducing how a project of this scope might take place in your nursing practice. To complete this project, you will define a small informatics project that would be beneficial to your healthcare organization or nursing practice. You can discuss this with upper leadership, in your practice or organization, explaining that you will need to design, plan, and propose how to implement and evaluate a small informatics project that can be completed within a 9-week time frame during this course. This project will be completed in two parts.
Photo Credit: auremar / Adobe Stock
The Assignment: (10–11 pages)
This week, you will finalize Part 1 of your Small Informatics Project, using all documents completed during Weeks 1–4.
- Identify and initiate a conversation with a nurse leader at your nursing practice or healthcare organization. Discuss what you will need to develop Scope and Charter Documents.
- Conduct a SWOT analysis which will provide information for the Scope and Charter. You can use a Word document and insert a table. Directions can be viewed in the Week 3 media piece, How to Perform a SWOT Analysis, found in this week’s Learning Resources. Some of the content is relevant to both the project for this course as well as organization of your doctoral dissertation. Overall, the first step for any project, work or your dissertation, requires a plan: what you will and will not do. That information is defined in a charter and scope.
- Create a visual using the Gap Analysis map of the identified gap, documenting the flow from the point of origin to the destination. After watching the Week 3 media piece, How to do a GAP Analysis, identify the gap and analyze the flow or lack of flow of information as the gap in a process. The visual map will include the flow from the point of origin to the destination. Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
- Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) using PowerPoint slides or another method. Be sure to review the media piece, What Is a Work Breakdown Structure? in the Week 3 Learning Resources.
- Create a Project Timeline Gantt chart, which defines who is responsible, due dates to start /finish activities. (You might also use this as you track your dissertation IRB submission for your proposal). You can find an example on pp. 95–96 of your text, using PowerPoint slides, or another method. Be sure to review the Gantt Charts, Simplified media piece in this week’s Learning Resources.
- RACI (responsibility chart) which outlines who will be responsible for which tasks, if working with a team. An example can be found in the Sipes text on pages 102–103.
- Communication plan – Include documentation of all communications, status reports, changes made, and next steps, especially if others will be responsible for helping you acquire documents such as IRB site documents if applicable. An example can be found in the Sipes text on page 109 and on pages 141–143.
- Change management plan – Document all changes as they occur (e.g., meetings moved, revisions of drafts of project, due dates moved due to changes, changes in scope of project, change in team members). An example can be found in the Sipes text on page 106, 108, 138 and on pages 156–157.
- Risk management plan– After viewing the Week 4 media piece, “Risk Analysis How to Analyze Risks on Your Project,” document the impact of COVID-19 on current processes and potential for change. Be sure to also document how risk may be mitigated if possible. An example can be found in the Sipes text on pages 103–105.
Compile all updated and current documents from Weeks 1–4 to submit.
Include a description and application to practice for each of the tools you developed. Include the rationale in your submission. Address the following:
- How and why it was developed and its function (all activities will be identified in the WBS)
- How it will be applied to your project? Is it new technology?
- Who was involved in changes and what are their responsibilities? (This is the stakeholders, leadership, end users – (use the RACI chart)
- In what way has this changed with the onset of the pandemic, if at all? This might be the gap analysis, change management plan. What were the changes?
- Are health information system/application upgrades scheduled or planned? Why or why not?
Resources
Sipes, C. (2020). Project management for the advanced practice nurse (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing.
Sipes, C. (2016). Project management: Essential skill of nurse informaticists. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 225, 252–256 Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
Assignment: Developing a Small Informatics Project for Your Organization, Part 2: Implementation
The final summary will include the complete evaluation of the full project and lessons learned—what went well and what needs update and revisions.
This will be a professional scholarly paper using APA 7. Be sure to include a one-half to one-page executive summary.
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The scholarly paper will include a minimum of 10 current citations from peer-reviewed journals. Every statement made in a scholarly report must be supported by a reference. Please note that only primary sources are to be used. Peer-reviewed journal articles should make up the bulk of your references specific page numbers when necessary. Note that an article referred in a book is a secondary source. . Please review the APA Publication Manual (APA; 7th ed.) and in the Walden Writing Center. See also “Policies on Academic Integrity.”
The final paper should be 17–20 pages, not including references.
Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. All papers submitted must use this formatting.
Computerized Clinical Decision Support System or CCDSS
The adoption of technology into healthcare took quite some time to become a reality. This is because the healthcare sector was one of those sectors that resisted for so long the influence of technology with the argument that it would replace the good judgment of a well-trained healthcare professional. These fears were however misplaced as the opposite would soon prove to be true. The turning point came with the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) release in 1999 of a damning report titled To Err Is Human. In this report, it was found that annually about 98,000 patients were dying in the United States healthcare system as a result of preventable errors committed by healthcare personnel (Palatnik, 2016). It followed that a crucial recommendation for quality improvement in this situation was that technology should be embraced by the healthcare sector so that it can assist to reduce these human errors that were putting patient safety at risk. The movement towards assimilating innovative healthcare technologies started in earnest from then. But to do this effectively, there needed to be a legislative framework that would give the initiative legal force and grounding. That came in the year 2009 after the election of President Obama. He signed into law two important pieces of legislation namely the Health Information and Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or ARRA (Sweeney, 2017). These two mandated healthcare organizations to start using electronic health record or EHR systems o capture, store, and retrieve patient information and medical data (Alotaibi & Federico, 2017; McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). At first, they had the provision for Meaningful Use (MU). This was an initiative to encourage organizations to adopt the EHR technology through incentives from the government. The purpose of this paper is to therefore present an initiative to implement one such nursing informatics technology project in an average-sized organization offering mainly primary healthcare services in a rural community.
A Conversation with a Nurse Leader at the Healthcare Organization
In order to get a good look into the practice gap and need within the organization with regard to nurse informatics and technological application in general, I needed to have a conversation with one of the longest-serving family nurse practitioners (FNP) who is also incidentally the nurse manager responsible for project implementation at the facility. The insight thus gained would be helpful in the making of the project charter and scope documents. Right from the start, he was forthright in pointing out to me that the organization indeed has an electronic health record (EHR) system; but that it is an old one and does not have an integrated clinical decision support system or CDS. This had let to errors still being committed despite the facility having the EHR system. He gave me quite a number of these incidents that had occurred over the years as he was practicing at that same organization that he has now served for 15 years Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
For instance, there had been incidents in which laboratory tests had been repeated for the same patient, medications serving the same purpose had been prescribed for the same patient, and procedures that had already been done had also been repeated at times. This is care fragmentation and it places the patient’s safety at risk as well as makes the cost of healthcare expensive for the patient unnecessarily. By prescribing the same medication a patient is on, one places the patient at risk of overdose and toxicity as well as the increased possibility of serious side effects. Repeating the laboratory and other tests also means that the patient will be billed for services that they had already had and paid for. To remedy this situation, the nurse manager thought that the gap in clinical decision-making must be filled (Unruh & Hofler, 2016)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems or CCDSS are computer software programs that have specific algorithms that help the clinician to make the correct decisions.
If for instance, the clinician was about to prescribe a drug the patient is already on, or order a test the patient had already done elsewhere; the CDS system would alert them to that fact (Holmström et al., 2020; Kuper et al., 2019; Olakotan et al., 2021; Taber et al., 2021). The clinical decision support or CDS system is therefore a tool for care coordination and the preservation of patient safety. Two of them are available, one that is integrated within the organization’s EHR system or the other that is outside the EHR system but linked to it. This latter one is usually referred to as the “add-on” CDS system (Kuper et al., 2019). In the case of our organization, therefore; the best solution would be the “add-on” CDS system since there were still no funds or even plans to overhaul the current EHR system.
Developing the Scope and Charter Documents
Every program manager understands that projects have timelines and costs that must be met in order to be completed satisfactorily. As per Sipes (2020)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment, in the early stages of a project, there should be a project scope description and a project charter that both outline the program’s mission as well as its aims and objectives. The scope statement is the structure that specifies the program’s limits, and it has a significant impact on the timeline and resources required to complete the project on time and on budget.
The project charter is a concise framework that includes the authorization for the product to be developed. It specifies the project manager as well as the sponsor and is often signed by top executives of the organization (Sipes, 2020). The project charter is provided to the organizational top leadership as well as the departments involved in the realization of the project. According to Sipes (2020), the following will be required in order to properly produce the project scope and charter documents:
- The objectives of the nurse informatics project
- The necessary resources including the funds that will be required for the successful completion of the project
- The project team members by number, designation, and name
- Identification of the project manager
- Revelation of the project sponsor and what they have sponsored in the project
- The length of time that the project will take to complete
- Appended signatures of the organization to executives that give the authority for the program to go ahead (Sipes, 2020).
A SWOT Analysis of the CCDSS Project
The tool that is referred to as the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is a potent strategic management tool that is useful for planning purposes. By identifying the strengths and opportunities of the informatics project it will be possible for the project manager to maximize on these and potentially enable the project to succeed within time and budget (Wang, 2019). Also, by outlining the weaknesses and threats that the project faces, the project manager and his team will be able to foresee project pitfalls and avoid them early enough. The CDS system crunches data and therefore utilizes data analytics to perform its work (Wang et al., 2018)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. The most outstanding strength for this project is that there is already a running EHR system on which the CDS system will be added on. Potential weaknesses on the other hand include that the EHR system on which the CDS system will be added is a bit old and becoming obsolete.
Table 1
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the CDS system implementation
Strengths
i. There is already an existing eClinicalWorks EHR system in place to add the CDS system on. ii. There is a nurse informaticist employed recently who will oversee the implementation of the project as the manager. iii. The executive management has already authorized all the required resources and budget. iv. All the staff who will be end users of the CDS system have received training on its use. |
Weaknesses
i. The eClinicalWorks EHR software is old and may not interface very well with the new state-of-the-art CDS system leading to decision loopholes. ii. The Internet connectivity in the rural area is not very reliable and this may affect the intranet signals which depend on Internet connectivity. iii. Most of the clinicians are above the age of 40 years and are not very comfortable with technology. |
Opportunities
i. The CDS system will improve the quality of care offered by reducing errors hence higher patient satisfaction. ii. There will be a chance for the executives to upgrade the EHR system to make the “add-on” CDS system function perfectly. iii. The new platforms (CDS and EHR) will potentially facilitate easier interoperability with other providers’ systems further reducing care fragmentation. |
Threats
i. Cybersecurity concerns as there will be a possibility of unauthorized access from outsiders to patient data. ii. A possibility that the old EHR system may not be very compatible with the new CDS system leading to frequent failures and disruption in the workflows. |
Gap Analysis
A five-step methodology is used in the gap analysis for this transformation (Durdag, 2021). A gap analysis is also a technique that can be used to help solve an issue or gap in practice in the future. In other terms, it is also a strategic tool in the manager’s arsenal. The type of the clinical performance shortage will be easier to monitor and appreciate by utilizing gap analysis. It aids in the efficient and reliable execution of the EBP solution, in this case, the health informatics shift to using an “add-on” clinical decision support. The starting point of the gap analysis is the prevailing situation at the facility which is the lack of a CDS system to aid in making correct clinical decisions. This is the first stage of the gap analysis.
The second stage is about what would be desirable and that is the availability of a CDS that can warn clinicians and nurses when they are about to make an error during decision-making about a patient’s management. Evidence-based practice dictates that only an intervention that is backed by sufficient evidence from clinical inquiry should be used to provide the solution (Twa, 2016)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. In the case of this project, this is the addition of an “add-on” clinical decision support system. The third stage is to understand how the CDS system will be used by the end-users for the benefit of the patients. A good system without proper and correct usage is useless. The fourth step in the gap analysis is having a plan and a backup plan on how the objective of the project will be achieved in the long term. For this, the nurse informaticist must be ready to troubleshoot and also to liaise with the vendor to solve teething problems and other issues promptly when they arise. The fifth and last stage of the gap analysis is about performing an in-depth assessment of the effectiveness and integration of the new CDS intervention.
It is simpler to picture and comprehend the method by which the upcoming transformation will be executed by creating a conceptual map of the gap analysis as described previously. The conceptual map emphasizes the linkages and interconnections that arise among concepts and methodologies. When a conceptual gap analysis map is introduced to this scenario, it becomes clearer and easier to understand, as does the core of the project. The conceptual map of the gap analysis model is a pictorial or diagrammatic representation of the five stages of the gap analysis. It lays down the interrelationships among the stages and also makes understanding the concept of gap analysis easier. This is what will also be done to this project as demonstrated by the concept map here below.
ORDER TODAY
Figure 1
A conceptual map for the clinical decision support system (CDS) gap analysis
Work Breakdown Structure for the CDS Implementation Project
The work breakdown structure or WBS depicts the way a project can be dismantled and segmented. It is an organizational tool used by the project leader to show the extent and activities of the project, as well as who is accountable for what, when, and how (Sipes, 2020). The project leader can use the WBS to generate a Gantt chart or determine the critical path of a work. A work breakdown structure (WBS) divides a project into smaller jobs and must be finished before a Gantt chart can be generated, as the activities in it will determine the elements of the Gantt chart. The work breakdown structure for this change implementation endeavor will be the one shown here.
Figure 2
A phase-based work breakdown structure (WBS) for the clinical decision support system
Project Timeline Gantt Chart
Table 2
The project timeline Gantt chart for the CDS system
Task Number | Task Name | Task Duration |
1 | Project initiation | 15 days |
1.1 | Development of carter | 7 days |
1.2 | Assigning a project manager | 1 days |
2.1 | Define scope | 3 days |
2.2 | Develop schedule | 7 days |
2.3 | Determine cost | 7 days |
2.4 | Assemble project team members | 15 days |
3.1 | Sampling | 14 days |
3.2 | Piloting | 1 month |
3.3 | Implementation | 3 months |
4 | Monitoring | 3 months |
5 | Project closure and handover | 14 days |
Responsibility or RACI Chart for the CDS Project
Table 3
Project responsibility or RACI matrix
PROJECT
TASK/ ACTIVITIES |
PM/OWNER
OF TASK = P = PETER |
APPROVE
ACCOUNTABLE/ SIGN-OFF = V = VERONICA |
CONSULTED
RE: WORK PRODUCT = A = AGNES |
INFORMED/
NOTIFIED OF RESULTS = M = MULIN |
Develop scope | P | M | V | A |
Develop charter | P | A | M | V |
Team selection | P | I | A | M |
Communication plan | P | I | V | A |
Risk plan | P | I | M | A |
Change control plan | P | V | M | A |
Status meetings (twice weekly) | P | M | A | V |
Communication Plan for the CDS Project
As part of the communication plan, weekly evaluation sessions will be held in person and headed by the program manager. There will also be electronic contact and correspondence about project issues, which will be shared with each member of the team. An additional mode of communication that will be included is mobile phone calls, which will be subsidized in terms of airtime by the project budget. All talks will be documented and preserved for future reference. In this situation, the nurse informaticist is both the custodian of electronic patient information and the project manager. He is also in charge of patient healthcare information preservation and compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. This law requires that any innovative technical system utilized in healthcare (particularly EHRs and CDSs) must ensure that patient information confidentiality and security is guaranteed.
Computerized Clinical Decision Support System or CCDSS
The adoption of technology into healthcare took quite some time to become a reality. This is because the healthcare sector was one of those sectors that resisted for so long the influence of technology with the argument that it would replace the good judgment of a well-trained healthcare professional. These fears were however misplaced as the opposite would soon prove to be true. The turning point came with the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) release in 1999 of a damning report titled To Err Is Human. In this report, it was found that annually about 98,000 patients were dying in the United States healthcare system as a result of preventable errors committed by healthcare personnel (Palatnik, 2016)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. It followed that a crucial recommendation for quality improvement in this situation was that technology should be embraced by the healthcare sector so that it can assist to reduce these human errors that were putting patient safety at risk. The movement towards assimilating innovative healthcare technologies started in earnest from then. But to do this effectively, there needed to be a legislative framework that would give the initiative legal force and grounding. That came in the year 2009 after the election of President Obama. He signed into law two important pieces of legislation namely the Health Information and Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or ARRA (Sweeney, 2017). These two mandated healthcare organizations to start using electronic health record or EHR systems o capture, store, and retrieve patient information and medical data (Alotaibi & Federico, 2017; McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). At first, they had the provision for Meaningful Use (MU). This was an initiative to encourage organizations to adopt the EHR technology through incentives from the government. The purpose of this paper is to therefore present an initiative to implement one such nursing informatics technology project in an average-sized organization offering mainly primary healthcare services in a rural community.
A Conversation with a Nurse Leader at the Healthcare Organization
In order to get a good look into the practice gap and need within the organization with regard to nurse informatics and technological application in general, I needed to have a conversation with one of the longest-serving family nurse practitioners (FNP) who is also incidentally the nurse manager responsible for project implementation at the facility. The insight thus gained would be helpful in the making of the project charter and scope documents. Right from the start, he was forthright in pointing out to me that the organization indeed has an electronic health record (EHR) system; but that it is an old one and does not have an integrated clinical decision support system or CDS. This had let to errors still being committed despite the facility having the EHR system. He gave me quite a number of these incidents that had occurred over the years as he was practicing at that same organization that he has now served for 15 years.
For instance, there had been incidents in which laboratory tests had been repeated for the same patient, medications serving the same purpose had been prescribed for the same patient, and procedures that had already been done had also been repeated at times. This is care fragmentation and it places the patient’s safety at risk as well as makes the cost of healthcare expensive for the patient unnecessarily. By prescribing the same medication a patient is on, one places the patient at risk of overdose and toxicity as well as the increased possibility of serious side effects. Repeating the laboratory and other tests also means that the patient will be billed for services that they had already had and paid for. To remedy this situation, the nurse manager thought that the gap in clinical decision-making must be filled (Unruh & Hofler, 2016)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems or CCDSS are computer software programs that have specific algorithms that help the clinician to make the correct decisions.
If for instance, the clinician was about to prescribe a drug the patient is already on, or order a test the patient had already done elsewhere; the CDS system would alert them to that fact (Holmström et al., 2020; Kuper et al., 2019; Olakotan et al., 2021; Taber et al., 2021). The clinical decision support or CDS system is therefore a tool for care coordination and the preservation of patient safety. Two of them are available, one that is integrated within the organization’s EHR system or the other that is outside the EHR system but linked to it. This latter one is usually referred to as the “add-on” CDS system (Kuper et al., 2019). In the case of our organization, therefore; the best solution would be the “add-on” CDS system since there were still no funds or even plans to overhaul the current EHR system.
Developing the Scope and Charter Documents
Every program manager understands that projects have timelines and costs that must be met in order to be completed satisfactorily. As per Sipes (2020), in the early stages of a project, there should be a project scope description and a project charter that both outline the program’s mission as well as its aims and objectives. The scope statement is the structure that specifies the program’s limits, and it has a significant impact on the timeline and resources required to complete the project on time and on budget.
The project charter is a concise framework that includes the authorization for the product to be developed. It specifies the project manager as well as the sponsor and is often signed by top executives of the organization (Sipes, 2020). The project charter is provided to the organizational top leadership as well as the departments involved in the realization of the project. According to Sipes (2020), the following will be required in order to properly produce the project scope and charter documents:
- The objectives of the nurse informatics project
- The necessary resources including the funds that will be required for the successful completion of the project
- The project team members by number, designation, and name
- Identification of the project manager
- Revelation of the project sponsor and what they have sponsored in the project
- The length of time that the project will take to complete
- Appended signatures of the organization to executives that give the authority for the program to go ahead (Sipes, 2020).
A SWOT Analysis of the CCDSS Project
The tool that is referred to as the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is a potent strategic management tool that is useful for planning purposes. By identifying the strengths and opportunities of the informatics project it will be possible for the project manager to maximize on these and potentially enable the project to succeed within time and budget (Wang, 2019). Also, by outlining the weaknesses and threats that the project faces, the project manager and his team will be able to foresee project pitfalls and avoid them early enough. The CDS system crunches data and therefore utilizes data analytics to perform its work (Wang et al., 2018). The most outstanding strength for this project is that there is already a running EHR system on which the CDS system will be added on. Potential weaknesses on the other hand include that the EHR system on which the CDS system will be added is a bit old and becoming obsolete.
Table 1
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the CDS system implementation
Strengths
i. There is already an existing eClinicalWorks EHR system in place to add the CDS system on. ii. There is a nurse informaticist employed recently who will oversee the implementation of the project as the manager. iii. The executive management has already authorized all the required resources and budget. iv. All the staff who will be end users of the CDS system have received training on its use. |
Weaknesses
i. The eClinicalWorks EHR software is old and may not interface very well with the new state-of-the-art CDS system leading to decision loopholes. ii. The Internet connectivity in the rural area is not very reliable and this may affect the intranet signals which depend on Internet connectivity. iii. Most of the clinicians are above the age of 40 years and are not very comfortable with technology. |
Opportunities
i. The CDS system will improve the quality of care offered by reducing errors hence higher patient satisfaction. ii. There will be a chance for the executives to upgrade the EHR system to make the “add-on” CDS system function perfectly. iii. The new platforms (CDS and EHR) will potentially facilitate easier interoperability with other providers’ systems further reducing care fragmentation. |
Threats
i. Cybersecurity concerns as there will be a possibility of unauthorized access from outsiders to patient data. ii. A possibility that the old EHR system may not be very compatible with the new CDS system leading to frequent failures and disruption in the workflows. |
Gap Analysis
A five-step methodology is used in the gap analysis for this transformation (Durdag, 2021). A gap analysis is also a technique that can be used to help solve an issue or gap in practice in the future. In other terms, it is also a strategic tool in the manager’s arsenal. The type of the clinical performance shortage will be easier to monitor and appreciate by utilizing gap analysis. It aids in the efficient and reliable execution of the EBP solution, in this case, the health informatics shift to using an “add-on” clinical decision support. The starting point of the gap analysis is the prevailing situation at the facility which is the lack of a CDS system to aid in making correct clinical decisions. This is the first stage of the gap analysis.
The second stage is about what would be desirable and that is the availability of a CDS that can warn clinicians and nurses when they are about to make an error during decision-making about a patient’s management. Evidence-based practice dictates that only an intervention that is backed by sufficient evidence from clinical inquiry should be used to provide the solution (Twa, 2016). In the case of this project, this is the addition of an “add-on” clinical decision support system. The third stage is to understand how the CDS system will be used by the end-users for the benefit of the patients. A good system without proper and correct usage is useless. The fourth step in the gap analysis is having a plan and a backup plan on how the objective of the project will be achieved in the long term. For this, the nurse informaticist must be ready to troubleshoot and also to liaise with the vendor to solve teething problems and other issues promptly when they arise. The fifth and last stage of the gap analysis is about performing an in-depth assessment of the effectiveness and integration of the new CDS intervention.
It is simpler to picture and comprehend the method by which the upcoming transformation will be executed by creating a conceptual map of the gap analysis as described previously. The conceptual map emphasizes the linkages and interconnections that arise among concepts and methodologies. When a conceptual gap analysis map is introduced to this scenario, it becomes clearer and easier to understand, as does the core of the project. The conceptual map of the gap analysis model is a pictorial or diagrammatic representation of the five stages of the gap analysis. It lays down the interrelationships among the stages and also makes understanding the concept of gap analysis easier. This is what will also be done to this project as demonstrated by the concept map here below Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment.
Figure 1
A conceptual map for the clinical decision support system (CDS) gap analysis
Work Breakdown Structure for the CDS Implementation Project
The work breakdown structure or WBS depicts the way a project can be dismantled and segmented. It is an organizational tool used by the project leader to show the extent and activities of the project, as well as who is accountable for what, when, and how (Sipes, 2020). The project leader can use the WBS to generate a Gantt chart or determine the critical path of a work. A work breakdown structure (WBS) divides a project into smaller jobs and must be finished before a Gantt chart can be generated, as the activities in it will determine the elements of the Gantt chart. The work breakdown structure for this change implementation endeavor will be the one shown here.
Figure 2
A phase-based work breakdown structure (WBS) for the clinical decision support system
Project Timeline Gantt Chart
Table 2
The project timeline Gantt chart for the CDS system
Task Number | Task Name | Task Duration |
1 | Project initiation | 15 days |
1.1 | Development of carter | 7 days |
1.2 | Assigning a project manager | 1 days |
2.1 | Define scope | 3 days |
2.2 | Develop schedule | 7 days |
2.3 | Determine cost | 7 days |
2.4 | Assemble project team members | 15 days |
3.1 | Sampling | 14 days |
3.2 | Piloting | 1 month |
3.3 | Implementation | 3 months |
4 | Monitoring | 3 months |
5 | Project closure and handover | 14 days |
Responsibility or RACI Chart for the CDS Project
Table 3
Project responsibility or RACI matrix
PROJECT
TASK/ ACTIVITIES |
PM/OWNER
OF TASK = P = PETER |
APPROVE
ACCOUNTABLE/ SIGN-OFF = V = VERONICA |
CONSULTED
RE: WORK PRODUCT = A = AGNES |
INFORMED/
NOTIFIED OF RESULTS = M = MULIN |
Develop scope | P | M | V | A |
Develop charter | P | A | M | V |
Team selection | P | I | A | M |
Communication plan | P | I | V | A |
Risk plan | P | I | M | A |
Change control plan | P | V | M | A |
Status meetings (twice weekly) | P | M | A | V |
Communication Plan for the CDS Project
As part of the communication plan, weekly evaluation sessions will be held in person and headed by the program manager. There will also be electronic contact and correspondence about project issues, which will be shared with each member of the team. An additional mode of communication that will be included is mobile phone calls, which will be subsidized in terms of airtime by the project budget. All talks will be documented and preserved for future reference. In this situation, the nurse informaticist is both the custodian of electronic patient information and the project manager. He is also in charge of patient healthcare information preservation and compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. This law requires that any innovative technical system utilized in healthcare (particularly EHRs and CDSs) must ensure that patient information confidentiality and security is guaranteed. Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
The CDS Project Change Management Plan
The Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations change model will guide the change management plan. This will ensure that the modification is implemented in a scientific and systematic manner throughout the timeline (Pashaeypoor et al., 2016). All modifications will be documented when they occur. As an example, minutes will be collected and documented during weekly meetings. Any changes to delivery timelines will be documented, and a contingency plan will be put in place in the case of a delay or an external affecting force.
A Risk Management Plan
Risk management is the practice of creating ways to prevent bad events from derailing a program. In the eventuality that some or all of the equipment or the electronic infrastructure as a whole fails, a fallback mechanism must be in place. Patient data should be kept safe and still available and accessible on the eClinicalWorks cloud in the event of unforeseen failures or incidents. This project will not use any new technology, but rather will make use of existing CDS technology. Those team members involved were the system developer, the application analyst, the vendor, and the nurse informaticist (Mosier et al., 2019). The customized CDS algorithm was created with the organization’s specific needs in mind. Improvements and upgrades are scheduled to keep system components from becoming obsolete while in operation. The vendor will be available for consultation by the nurse informaticist (program manager) and follow-up technical advice for the next six months, according to the contract.
Conclusion
Change implementation is an inseparable requirement for quality management and improvement. This paper has presented a project for implementing the installation of a CDS system that is not integrated with the existing EHR system. Its aim is to help reduce errors committed by healthcare personnel within the organization when making clinical decisions. Some of these errors are very serious and may cost patients their life. They include double prescription of the same or similar drug as well as ordering again the same test Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment
References
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Durdag, Y. (2021). Gap analysis: 5-step framework guide and template. https://www.grow-force.com/gap-analysis-template/
Holmström, I.K., Kaminsky, E., Lindberg, Y., Spangler, D., & Winblad, U. (2020). Registered Nurses’ experiences of using a clinical decision support system for triage of emergency calls: A qualitative interview study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 76(11), 3104–3112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jan.14542
Kuper, K.M., Nagel, J.L., Kile, J.W., May, L.S., & Lee, F.M. (2019). The role of electronic health record and “add-on” clinical decision support systems to enhance antimicrobial stewardship programs. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/ice.2019.51
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K.G. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge, 4th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Mosier, S., Roberts, D., & Englebright, J. (2019). A systems-level method for developing nursing informatics solutions. The Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA) 49(11), 543-548. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000815
Olakotan, O.O., & Yusof, M.M. (2021). The appropriateness of clinical decision support systems alerts in supporting clinical workflows: A systematic review. Health Informatics Journal, 27(2), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/14604582211007536
Palatnik, A. (2016). To err is human. Nursing Critical Care, 11(5), 4. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.CCN.0000490961.44977.8d
Pashaeypoor, S., Ashktorab, T., Rassouli, M., & Alavi-Majd, H. (2016). Predicting the adoption of evidence-based practice using “Rogers Diffusion of Innovation Model”. Contemporary Nurse. https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2016.1188019
Sipes, C. (2020). Project management for the advanced practice nurse, 2nd ed. Springer Publishing Company.
Sweeney, J. (2017). Healthcare informatics. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics (OJNI), 21(1)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. https://www.himss.org/library/healthcare-informatics
Taber, P., Radloff, C., Del Fiol, G., Staes, C., & Kawamoto, K. (2021). New standards for clinical decision support: A survey of the state of implementation. Yearbook of Medical Informatics, 159-171. http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1726502
Twa, M.D. (2016). Evidence-based clinical practice: Asking focused questions (PICO). Optometry and Vision Science, 93(10), 1187–1188. https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001006
Unruh, L., & Hofler, R. (2016). Predictors of gaps in patient safety and quality in U.S. hospitals. Health Services Research, 51(6), 2258-2281. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12468
Wang, C. (2019). The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis of big data analytics in healthcare. International Journal of Big Data and Analytics in Healthcare, 4(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijbdah.2019010101
Wang, Y., Kung, L., & Byrd, T.A. (2018). Big data analytics: Understanding its capabilities and potential benefits for healthcare organizations. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 126(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.12.019
The CDS Project Change Management Plan
The Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations change model will guide the change management plan. This will ensure that the modification is implemented in a scientific and systematic manner throughout the timeline (Pashaeypoor et al., 2016)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. All modifications will be documented when they occur. As an example, minutes will be collected and documented during weekly meetings. Any changes to delivery timelines will be documented, and a contingency plan will be put in place in the case of a delay or an external affecting force.
A Risk Management Plan
Risk management is the practice of creating ways to prevent bad events from derailing a program. In the eventuality that some or all of the equipment or the electronic infrastructure as a whole fails, a fallback mechanism must be in place. Patient data should be kept safe and still available and accessible on the eClinicalWorks cloud in the event of unforeseen failures or incidents. This project will not use any new technology, but rather will make use of existing CDS technology. Those team members involved were the system developer, the application analyst, the vendor, and the nurse informaticist (Mosier et al., 2019)Nursing Technology In Healthcare Assignment. The customized CDS algorithm was created with the organization’s specific needs in mind. Improvements and upgrades are scheduled to keep system components from becoming obsolete while in operation. The vendor will be available for consultation by the nurse informaticist (program manager) and follow-up technical advice for the next six months, according to the contract.
Conclusion
Change implementation is an inseparable requirement for quality management and improvement. This paper has presented a project for implementing the installation of a CDS system that is not integrated with the existing EHR system. Its aim is to help reduce errors committed by healthcare personnel within the organization when making clinical decisions. Some of these errors are very serious and may cost patients their life. They include double prescription of the same or similar drug as well as ordering again the same test.
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