Reading through industry publications, it’s hard not to be bombarded with topics of staffing shortages, budget problems and general advice that broadly states that we need to get ready to tighten our belts even further as restrictions, regulations, legislation, etc., continue to threaten our industry.
We are demanded to do more with less and expected to keep a smile on in front of an audience of residents. What can a facility do to even put a dent in this challenge? How can we evolve into the next chapter of long-term care?
One area that I do not see touched on too often is how the information technology (IT) department can be utilized in tandem with general operations to improve efficiency within a facility. Articles about IT often cover some new emerging hardware or software. Often, the covered technology is a startup or some new partnership between two entities that received funding in one form or another.
However, the base principles of IT are rarely touched upon. Many of us think of IT as the individual (typically one or two computer “gurus”) that come around and assist us with a broken keyboard or repair the mail room’s large format printer that no one likes. Break/fix tickets are an element of IT operations, but not the entire purpose.
At its core, IT is about process improvement and efficiently getting information from point A to point B via the use of technology in efforts to assist the organization in meetings its strategic goals.
There are some key items to think about when recruiting and to ask of your IT staff when including technology in your overall business strategy:
1: Choose Carefully
Of all the points listed, this one likely goes the most without saying, but it is still worth stating. When considering candidates that will help lead technology at your organization, pick the person that appears to have the longest fuse. A calm, patient individual who can smile through the worst of times is the person you want.
In the interview, ask them about the worst IT situation they can remember being involved with and how they resolved it. Take note to compare against the other candidates. While, of course, technology proficiency is important, along with successful implementations, time in the workforce, time in healthcare, etc. are all very critical aspects. No one wants to deal with an individual that appears “put out” by requests for evaluation or assistance.
2: Onsite vs Consulting
Having worked on both sides of the fence, I can definitively say that having onsite IT staff is a critical portion of the success of any and all technology initiatives. The many individuals that make up an LTC facility are not always easy to pin down.
And given that sometimes IT-related subjects or tasks can seem overbearing at first, the onsite IT individual can work with the staff at their pace. Field and retrieve questions. Assist in making rational and well thought-out decisions in terms of IT. And, most importantly, consistently monitor the post-processes in order to make sure the adaptation of the new technology is going smoothly and attempt to control the inevitable chaos that can ensue from implementations.
3: General Roadmap
Now that we have established the benefit of an onsite professional, it is time to task them with some items. Allow them a couple of weeks to study the environment and report back in writing their findings and what needs to be addressed first and addressed later.
Contrary to popular belief, there are no areas of an organization’s IT that need zero attention or expanded thought. The “set it and forget it” mindset is not an ideal phrase to hear from IT individuals. Hardware and software alike are ever-changing and always have specific roadmaps of their own. It can be as simple as drawing up and executing a plan to update all computers within 30 days to as complex as moving the admissions process to a digital workflow.
4: In-Person Communication
While challenging in a world of COVID, it should be encouraged for the IT staff to have in-person (or at least voice conversations) with the general staff to fully understand the job roles and workflows so that critical thought may be applied before suggesting IT solutions.
Too often, we want to rely on email either out of shyness or feeling like we will bother the individual that we need to ask some questions to better understand whatever it is that we are investigating. Email should be secondary, in terms of relaying information, and sent as a follow-up to note the key takeaways.
5: Business Analysis
Like all departments, IT is no exception to keeping good records of what they are spending or projecting to spend. But one item to ask IT staff is how, when claiming software will save time and money, it will actually do so. An individual does not need to be put on the spot, but do ask them to email a well thought-out plan for major initiatives. And then follow up to debate the pros and cons.
An example might be:
The staff, along with IT, would like to implement a document management system at $500/month for the software subscription. They bring leadership the quote for the product and state this will be a great asset to the company. The IT individual should provide a plan for the implementation and how long before the product is fully integrated into the standard workflow. They should also bring forth any ancillary costs like training sessions. That should be paired with an analysis of the status quo workload and compared against hiring another individual to complete the work that could be addressed by the document management system’s ability to automate tasks.
Concluding Thoughts
While many more pages could be written on the advantages of efficient information technology practices within the long-term healthcare arena, I hope this gets the conversation started about what could be done at your facility to lessen the variance in total operational costs by way of effective use of technology.
Adam Saalman is the Director of Information Technology for Holiday Health Care in Evansville, IN. Over the years he has developed a passion for the delivery of efficient IT solutions and services to the medical professionals he serves.
The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.
