Transition

Written by Veronica Richards

Introduction

Healthcare in the U.S. is undergoing transformation due to political and technological change. The healthcare industry has experienced huge technological advances in diagnostics and treatment as well as IT administrative support. In 2009, the Obama administration approved funding to create a large network of regional health information technology centers to support physicians and hospitals as they acquire and implement electronic health records (EHR) to meet federal standards of meaningful use.

Healthcare IT (HIT) professionals must implement complex systems, in a dynamic environment, where the role of HIT project managers will become pivotal.. The good news is that IT project management skills from other industries transfer into the HIT environment. Yet the healthcare environment is radically different than other industries. The first step towards transitioning successfully into HIT project management is developing an understanding of the environment. This article investigates what in a HIT environment is similar to other IT environments and what is different.

What is the SAME as other IT Projects?

Project management skills are transferable from one industry to another. You will run a project through the usual project management stages of initiation; planning and design; execution; monitoring and controlling; and closing. As any project manager in another industry, a HIT project manager must do the following:

1. Develop a sense of mission by effectively measuring how each project contributes to the long-term goals and objectives of the healthcare organization.
2. Know how to communicate clearly Return on Investment (ROI) for implementing IT solutions. You must develop a solid, consistent process for collecting and communicating this information to management.
3. Implement project management techniques to track scope, cost and resources.
4. During project initiation, develop clear criteria defining what constitutes project success. Key stakeholders need to be engaged in developing, reviewing and then signing off on these criteria.

What is DIFFERENT than other IT Projects?

Healthcare IT projects have unusually high rates of failure. In 2007, the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT reported that about 50% of Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) implementations failed. In a recent survey, one group identified the following top reasons for IT implementation failures: 40% attribute failure to poor planning and communication; 20% cite mismanagement and rejection by end users; and 15% blame overspending. To overcome these issues, a HIT project manager must realize and address the following issues:

1. Healthcare organizations’ decentralized structures contribute to the high failure rate for HIT projects. Key stakeholders may have an equal say on any major project decision. This can hinder project momentum. You must develop a strong network to successfully influence key stakeholders.
2. On a large project, organizational politics play a key role in the project’s success or failure. Project managers must have a political strategy that manages the concerns of important sponsors and key stakeholders to mitigate project derailment. Project managers’ “soft skills” will be as important if not more important than technical skill.
3. Be prepared to manage rapid change. EHRs will change healthcare work environments and that change will most likely be disconcerting to the users of the system. Project managers must do strong, data-driven analysis that supports any proposed workflow changes.
4. User acceptance is often a gating factor for whether or not a system is implemented. Project managers must involve end users in the early stages of design to ensure that business requirements are satisfied.
5. Healthcare is usually paid by a third party payer. This introduces complexity into IT systems. Not only must you develop a system that works for the end users, you must develop a system that meets the needs of third party payers.
6. Healthcare organizations must comply with a wide variety of standards to function. The organization must comply with HIPAA regulations and ICD standards. Also, there are specific compliance regulations that apply to labs such as 21CFR part 11 compliance. Such compliances need to be known and addressed in the planning stages of the project.

In conclusion, remember your strengths as an IT project manager while being aware of the unique nature of healthcare. In future articles, we will investigate expanding your knowledge of current healthcare issues.

Veronica Richards

Veronica Richards is a graduate of Bellevue College’s Healthcare IT Certificate and Project Management Certificate Programs. She has worked 20+ years in the software/IT industry as a project manager. You can view her profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicarichards.