Thankfully, many requirements for a provincial clinical information system (CIS) were anticipated. We leverage the good work of Strategic Clinical Networks, Quality Safety & Outcomes, Clinical Knowledge & Content Management, Strategic Transformation Questions, eSafety, infrastructure enhancement and other efforts to transform health care provincially.
We also acclimatize a critical success factor... being inclusive. All zones, sites, disciplines and stakeholders are involved, including input from patient advisors. All deserve credit for rapid progress in many areas:
- Credible Oversight: A robust and enduring provincial oversight structure brings governance, advocacy and community empowerment to Connect Care, ensuring representative guidance through design and build, and responsive optimization indefinitely. The associated committees, councils, advisory groups and workgroups have proved positive and productive. The decision-making experience already nurtures curious, collaborative and empowered stakeholders.
- Early Engagement: Over 3,000 physicians, clinicians, staff and patients have participated in groundwork, scoping, direction-setting, clinical system design and adoption & validation activities; often in demanding multi-day sessions. They directly ensure commitment to purpose over product.
- Shared Decision-Making: Already many thousands of answered questions address how Connect Care is configured to support the way we work. Many more thousands guide the selection, adaptation and development of clinical content (documentation, decision and inquiry supports) to help patients, practitioners and policy-makers.
- Dynamic Build: To date, reactions to the emerging Connect Care build have been very positive. Iterative exposure of work completed, review by stakeholders and then re-adjustment continues, with responsive build activities finishing by early 2019 when simulation and testing begins.
- Principles-Based: Guiding principles for governance, system build, design management, scope management, decision support, documentation, embedded analytics, eSafety and many other domains help decision-makers work to a common purpose.
- Solid Foundation: Disaster resilient data centres are built and linked, with the CIS software installed and taking shape. Clear frameworks guide selection and deployment of wireless, workstations and mobile devices.
- Scope Managed: The capabilities of our integration partner (Epic Systems) are known, potentially important clinical or safety gaps explored, and decisions about complementary systems made; emphasizing integration, simplicity and sustainability.
- Implementation Plans: Work continues to sequence roll-out waves. Use of resources and change agents is carefully choreographed. Plans for training and supporting over 7,000 prescribers and 110,000 staff are underway, with zones and sites ramping up their own effector streams.
Rapid change, with such profound implications, occurs on a scale never before experienced in our organization. It solidifies our identity as a principled public service and prepares us for even greater change as we get ready for CIS implementation starting late 2019.