There is no such thing as a pilot in the healthcare sector

I often wonder why IT projects within the healthcare sector, always takes a lot of time or end up so big, that the project management cannot handle them and the project schedule is delayed.

Often in IT projects there are a clear understanding of the business case, the goals and purpose of the system. But people never the less does not talk about what a pilot is for and why they have chosen that particular method and for example not a lab test instead. In healthcare there are no such things as a pilot, because we need to focus on patient security and a high quality of the delivered treatment. Pilots with less functionality or even simulated data flows, do not go well within that paradigm.

In my time in IT management in a big university hospital I heard more than the opposite doctors and nurses argue, that a pilot project would be ok, but not until that integration or that functionality is implemented as well. If project management give in, the project is growing and the pilot will not start until the entire system is in place, and that can take a lot of time. Low hanging fruit slowly ascends into the three tops so to speak, and are harder to reach.

Projects in the healthcare sector can be illustrated with one of my personal favourite Gifs. Everything is lined up, the field is well described and marked, the goal is clear and in sight and you has even implemented some organizational and functional routines to help the system into implementation. But quick the project gets to big and crashes half way towards a milestone.

 
I guess one way to solve the above paradox is to really understand and communicate the purpose of the pilot and not let the project grow out of its initial scope. Furthermore, always make it clear, that the system after ending the pilot might get shut down, so you will not make severe adjustments for a lot of money on a system that might not be implemented fully within the organization.

So my I guess my point is, that be careful with your health IT projects, get it aligned exactly with the business needs and don’t overdue the functionality. Keep the fruit low and don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

Understanding How Business Goals Drive IT Goals

Sometimes great things happen to you, and yesterday I ran into an article by the very interesting name: “Understanding How Business Goals Drive IT Goals”. It is written by IT governance institute (ITGITM) which is a non-profit, independent research entity that provides guidance for the global
business community on issues related to the governance of IT assets.

In the introduction they write:

In today’s complex and constantly changing business world, IT’s alignment to the business and IT governance are high on the agenda of executive management. Strategic planning based on the alignment of IT goals to business goals is a key component in business/IT alignment. It is important that an enterprise start with a clear view of its mission and a thorough definition of its supporting strategy and business goals. This then needs to be translated into goals for the IT department, which are the basis for the IT strategy. Finally, the supporting IT processes must be carefully planned to translate the IT strategy into action. For these planning efforts, enterprises may be looking for guidance to identify the set of important business goals and IT goals, and how they interrelate.

The article goes on and describes a set of top ten business goals and how they relate to a set of IT goals. It gives you a great input on how to work with translating business goals and work with them when you are in a management position and desperately needs that next IT strategy for your business and IT department. The list can inspire you on how the business and IT correlates and it goes very nicely with the Strategic alignment model I have described in my blog.

The article goes on and describes in detail business goals for certain business areas as for example: “Manufacturing and Pharmaceuticals Sector” or “Government, Utilities and Healthcare Sector”

I must say when looking at the list for healthcare I like what I see. The five first is:

1. Maintain the security (confidentiality, integrity and availability) of information and processing infrastructure. Operational
2. Align the IT strategy to the business strategy. Corporate
3. Make sure that IT services are reliable and secure. User
4. Ensure IT compliance with laws and regulations. Corporate
5. Translate business functional and control requirements into effective and efficient automated solutions. User

And that is a great crosswalk between operational goals and development and new initiatives (goals). Looking at Nyt OUH and our coming hospital to be, we have two major constrains or goals set by the state. 20 pct fewer beds and therefor an increase in ambulatory production and a 8 pct efficiency increase. The 8 pct is about 400 mill dkr, which must be found year one after the new hospital is in use.  I guess number 2 and 5 in the above list addresses that issue.

How can IT, new equipment and digital solutions help the hospital succeed and reach those goals?.

If, lets say 40 pct of the 400 mill is supposed to be harvested by new innovative IT solutions, then it is time to discuss how it is done. We need a well defined process and a method, that will bring us closer to the right solutions.

It takes time, money and resources to choose, implement and operate those solutions – We need to make the right choices, so our money is spent wisely and in accordance to our business goals – otherwise it is IT for ITs sake – and that will not necessarily generate more efficiency or reduce the number of beds we need.