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In healthcare, like in many other fields, understanding and capturing business requirements and capturing user and process workflows, is paramount to achieving success in new technology adoption. Yet, healthcare organizations often acquire technology with the expectation that it will address their pain points without an upfront deep analysis of the current and target workflows. If a comprehensive business workflow analysis isn’t completed ahead of the decision to implement this solution, the effort to develop the software will lead to increased costs and the resulting software solution will not fully serve the goals of the organization.
Throughout my 10+ years spent working in a hospital setting in various different units, I have observed many workflows; efficient and inefficient alike. There are many issues that I saw that could be addressed with technology. But technology alone isn’t going to improve issues such as long turnaround times in the operating room, scheduling inefficiencies in the office, or lack of appropriate patient-care-related supplies. A deeper dive into the issue should be performed to determine why these issues are happening and how a combination of technology and process transformation can address these challenges.
At Clinovera, our first step for any project engagement is to identify business and workflow patterns and complexities ahead of developing any technology solutions. The next step is to inform the organization about the findings and jointly generate target processes. We believe that upfront transparency and expectation management go a long way in addressing the needs of our clients. Once the workflow is analyzed, our team of engineers and healthcare experts will work closely with the project stakeholders to come up with a solution that makes the most sense for the client.
It’s often difficult to gain buy-in from the frontline staff when modifying a workflow. After all, we are going in and changing how they are used to doing their day-to-day tasks. That is why it is important to get input from the stakeholders that make sense functionally in a healthcare setting. According to PWC, 90% of C-Suite executives believe they pay attention to the staff’s needs when introducing new technology but only about half (53%) of the staff agree. Having worked as a nurse for years in a healthcare setting, I know this firsthand. Leadership often comes in and says, “This is how we’re going to do things now.” What frontline staff don’t always know is why the decision was made and how it will likely improve their workflow. I remember working as a nurse and seeing various changes thinking, “Have they consulted with the people that actually perform this task?” or “Have they thought about how this is going to fit into our current workflow?”
When involving the frontline staff and understanding the deep intricacies of their workflow, the solution can then be tailored to make sense for them while still serving the goals of the organization. The importance of analyzing how hospital staff perform a current task and how the new solution can fit into their day-to-day can make a world of difference. With a full workflow analysis, along with nursing and healthcare expertise guiding our technology development process, the solution should seamlessly fit into overall existing workflows while significantly improving efficiency.
If only there was a function in Google that could translate healthcare challenges into a technology solution, life would be much easier! Of course, even with the latest advancements in AI - we are not there yet. The lack of understanding of how technology works puts a huge barrier between advancing technology in healthcare systems; and vice versa! Technologists speak technology language and healthcare professionals speak the language of healthcare. When strictly healthcare professionals speak to strictly technology personnel, the message may not come across as intended. That is why it is vital to have someone who understands both sides.
At Clinovera, we stand at the crossroads of healthcare and technology, providing a unique perspective that bridges the gap between these two complex fields. Our commitment to understanding the intricacies of healthcare operations and translating them into technological solutions positions us as an invaluable partner in your journey toward improved efficiency and patient care.
Together, we can craft tailored solutions that are not just technologically advanced but are seamlessly integrated into your environment, ensuring that your investment in software development for your specific healthcare setting yields the maximum benefit.
Reach out to us at Clinovera, where your vision for a more efficient and effective healthcare system can be brought to life through the power of technology. Let’s take the first step towards transforming healthcare together.
Authored by Kseniya Hoar, MBA, RN.