183324 Omaha System Solutions: Building an organizational coalition to promote successful system implementation

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Linda Lake, RN, PHN, MSN , Chief Public Health Nurse, County of San Diego, Health & Human Services Agency, San Diego, CA
Carol Judkins, RN, PHN, PhDc , Retired Chief Public Health Nurse, County of San Diego, Health & Human Services Agency, San Diego, CA
In order to increase productivity and efficiency of business operations in all health departments, it is imperative to explore the use of e-government and technology. A Public Health Nursing (PHN) workforce was selected for one of three pilot projects in a County Health Department. Since this PHN workforce was mobile, serving over 3 million residents in a county of 4200 square miles, recommended technology solutions included the use of tablets by this mobile remote workforce and the creation or purchase of an automated nursing record to promote productivity and efficiency. In February 2006, a multidisciplinary team became involved in the investigation and formulation of recommendations. This team consisted of frontline and supervising PHNs, other Public Health program staff, budget representatives, Executive leadership staff, county information technology and county contracted information technology personnel, and human resources personnel. This session will provide an overview of the complex and long term nature of a planning process to implement an automated clinical information system for public health nurses. The decision to select the Omaha System for nursing documentation and the decision to select an automated clinical information system as a technology solution for increased public health nursing efficiency is discussed. The influence of looming federal and state mandates for electronic records implementation, productivity and efficiency goals, outcomes management, and a desire for a “one software application fits all” solution are discussed in terms of their influences on getting to implementation.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of the session, the participant will be able to: Describe essential activities in development of the action plan. Discuss the benefits of multidisciplinary partners in planning for the implementation of a clinical information system for public health nurses. Analyze driving and restraining forces encountered in the organization during the planning process.

Keywords: Information System Integration, Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As the Chief Public Health Nurse, I am providing leadership to plan this business process/re-engineering project, and have been involved since the beginning. I have been employed at the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency for 12 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.