When University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust decided to procure an electronic prescribing and medication management system, it was hard to imagine that it would take almost seven years before the system would be used in clinical practice. Without a doubt, making the decision to choose and implement any healthcare IT project is a complex undertaking.
We recently shared some experiences about project management and implementation from the clinical experts at University Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Somerset Foundation NHS Trust. They all emphasised the importance of understanding people when tackling the cultural changes brought by technology.
Among other things, Ann Mann, an eHealth specialist nurse at Somerset NHS Trust, explained that it is crucial to find the right people to convey the message to the right people. Really listening to the staff and putting one’s assumptions aside is also essential.
At Better, we believe that healthcare should think about data first, and applications second. We are strong advocates of open approaches, and keen on sharing the knowledge we acquire through our work.
In the realms of medication management, we have so far prepared several meaningful resources – a list of things hospitals should consider when thinking about implementing an electronic medication management system, webinars about “How to motivate the team during an ePMA implementation”, demonstrations of how to prepare a gap analysis and how to prepare a clinical engagement day, and more. In 2019 we organised a community event in London, which was a great success and included 40 key stakeholders (CCIOs, CNIOs, Chief Medical Officers, Lead Pharmacists, ePMA Project Leads). The meeting resulted in a check-list for clinicians working in electronic medication-management implementation teams.