Whether within primary, acute or Community settings, clinical IT solutions are one of the key tools used in managing the information required in treating patients, and providing other key pieces of information to the organisation.  It used to be that most of the decisions on what tools to use, were managed and decisions made by the IT department because it was technology. Most of these decisions were made in isolation of clinical input and overall strategic direction of the organisation. This approach has led to lessons learned;

• Many solutions did not meet current requirements or did not address the future requirements of the organisation.
• A large impact on clinical processes and the way patient information was captured and managed, causing long and complicated change management processes which in turn lead to resistance and clinical user dissatisfaction.
• The selection of disparate systems that did not always interoperate was common.

These are just a few of the lessons learned from the past.

It is now a different time. More and more the role of Chief Executive Officers (CEO), Information Officers (CIO), Financial Officers (CFO), Medical Officers (CMO), Nursing Officers (CNO) and other key executives, includes working across the organisation together in developing and implementing care delivery strategies, and also working together in the selection of strategic tools such as information system solutions. The challenge for solution providers is to understand not only the requirements, defined by the IT department but also understand the clinical delivery strategy, the expectations of clinicians in the tools being used, financial objectives and future direction of the organisation in order to understand how to provide true value for money. The number of stakeholders that are now formally involved in the decision making process makes solution selling in health much more complex than most other industries. Participating in both public and private health systems adds to this complexity. 

CEO’s want to know how the supplier will work with their organisation over time and how the solution will add value. The CFO is looking at both the cost of procurement, ongoing operational costs and value for money. The CMO and CNO want to know how flexible the solution is to meet current and future patient information requirements and how little it will impact workflow and processes, and the CIO wants to know how it fits within their technical environment and how easy it is to interoperate with existing and future solutions. 

It is through the procurement process that all stakeholders and decision makers are exposed to and educated about new technologies. We are all educated by history, what we currently know are the standard solutions which add complexity to the situation. Providers such as Sláinte Healthcare, offering software like Vitro deliver more cost effective and user-friendly solutions, to achieve the standard objectives of quality of care delivery, user satisfaction and cost effective tools. Most decision makers need to unlearn what they have learned over a long period of time in order to think differently about how they need to achieve their objectives. 

More decision makers involved in the procurement process adds time and complexity. However, the good news for smaller vendors is that more decision makers across the health care delivery organisation are exposed and are involved in the decision making process. This gives access to a broader range of leaders and responsibilities within the organisation to educate as to new technologies and their value.  

Jeff Smoot - Commercial Director, Sláinte Healthcare

Jeff joined Sláinte as Global Vice President of Sales & Marketing. He has extensive experience in Healthcare, previously working for companies such as Allscripts, Cerner and Fujitsu Technology Solutions. Jeff was awarded a BSBA by the University of Denver and an MBA from the Loyola College in Maryland in the USA, he has responsibility for the sales and marketing strategy throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the UK.

LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/pub/jeffrey-smoot/17/239/5aa