Omaha System partnerships: Converting from paper to electronic clinical documentation system

The need to increase productivity and operational efficiencies without sacrificing quality is pervasive in our current economic climate and particularly in health departments dependent on ever decreasing government funding and grants. To this end, the Kent County Health Department began exploring existing software products designed to meet the multi-faceted technology needs of health departments that could replace our aging, home-grown, public health information system. In particular, the requirements of the Community Nursing Division of the Department included a system that offered automated clinical service documentation and evaluation to replace our largely paper client record. The Omaha System met this requirement and was offered by the selected software vendor. Factors influencing successful implementation of the Omaha System and lessons learned will be discussed. Partners included: frontline, multi-disciplinary staff; division supervisors and administrator; department IT staff; finance staff; department administrators; County purchasing; an outside consultant and the vendor. Partner roles and relationships and their impact on the process will be presented. The Community Nursing Division's action plan and the steps to prepare for automation will be described. Those included reading, participating in workshops, practice, and communicating with others who have implemented software previously. The impact of the Omaha System's implementation on efficiency and productivity in the Division's largest home visiting program will also be discussed.