Implementing healthcare technology is never a goal in itself: it is always about improving the care your organisation provides. Whether it concerns technology that is used directly in patient treatment or tools aimed at optimising your internal processes, the end result must always be better, more accessible care.
That said, the introduction of new technology always requires something from your organisation as well – it inevitably involves a degree of change management. In this article, we outline the various steps you can take to ensure that new healthcare technology is successfully embedded within your organisation.
As mentioned, merely adopting a particular technology is never the real objective. Start by mapping out what you want to achieve – what is the problem you are trying to solve? Who is experiencing this problem? What is the impact? Only then can you explore the best way to tackle it.
Having a clear understanding of both the problem and the corresponding solution will also help in securing support from the various stakeholders.
Of course, you will need to get everyone on the same page in order to move forward with the new healthcare technology. Who is responsible for this within your organisation? Which people will be affected? Make sure you bring the right people to the table and that you can clearly demonstrate how the intended technology will benefit the organisation (the more concrete, the better – what will it deliver? How does the proposed solution align with your vision and strategy regarding healthcare technology?).
You’ve secured buy-in and are greenlit to explore further – excellent. There are several ways to go deeper.
What is already happening with this type of technology within your region or care sector? Do you know people in your network who are already using the intended solution? Reach out and learn from existing experiences.
Engage with your internal stakeholders: what is required specifically? What must the solution be able to do? What are the must-haves and what are the nice-to-haves? Are there particular certifications needed, or is there a strong preference for a domestic supplier? Collaborate with colleagues to draw up a list of requirements.
Research which solutions are available on the market and what they can offer. With your list of requirements prepared, contact potential suppliers for tailored demos so you can compile a shortlist of suitable solutions.
Based on your shortlist, you can then enter into discussions with your preferred supplier regarding the financial aspects and the necessary next steps.
Make sure to involve the right colleagues to form a project group. Which disciplines are required (IT, Finance, Security, healthcare providers)? Who will take the lead? How will internal healthcare technology ambassadors be engaged? Is there a process in place for this already? And is there a role for clients or patients in this process?
With the project group, create a clear plan that sets out why and how you will approach the implementation of the chosen healthcare technology. What are the short- and long-term objectives? Which resources and people are involved, and what are their roles? What does the funding look like? What are the stages of the implementation process? Will there be a pilot phase? How will change management be handled, and what support will be available during and after implementation? When will evaluation take place?
Do not underestimate the importance of change management: the technology may be excellent, but if people do not see its value or fail to use it properly, achieving your goals will be a challenge. Communication plays a major role here.
Once you have reached agreement on a plan, you can then prepare both the technology and your organisation for the go-live.
Yes, your new solution is live! Time for cake – celebrate your successes!
Even after going live, there is still quite some work to be done. Measure the outcomes of your efforts and evaluate how the implementation and the initial period of use went. Then consider opportunities to optimise the use of the healthcare technology and explore scale up options.
Hopefully, this article has inspired you to get started with implementing new healthcare technology within your organisation.
At CODE24, we provide a wide range of solutions to improve your organisation’s processes through smart digitalisation and insights from associated data. Examples include digitalising the lab order process or the admission process in mental healthcare. Take a look at our full portfolio of solutions here.