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

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.