Seeking to Learn More

In last week’s blog, I mentioned my struggle in watching an unsuccessful deployment of EHRs in a clinical setting. In that deployment, I looked forward to the implementation of what was supposed to be an improvement in our healthcare delivery. Actually, though, the deployment created unexpected workflow problems and, in some cases, exacerbated workflow issues that had already existed in our paper-based record system. I was dissatisfied and surprised by the failure of the EHR system to integrate into our work processes. The idea that technology could enhance work processes, for us was unrealized.  I was filled with many questions; more questions than I had answers to. I wondered what piece of this puzzle had I missed; why the failure? I faced two choices, to either: a) resist progress; refuse to change and give up on this idea that technology could improve healthcare delivery or b) seek to understand the new situation I was confronting and figure out the puzzle.

At the end of the day, I decided it was time to grow. I had always known that nursing was a lifelong learning profession, so I looked around and found a nursing informatics program within an hour’s commute. I returned to graduate school and began a post graduate program to learn how this technology could support healthcare delivery and to understand why what I had witnessed was such an unexpected failure. My commitment to continuous improvements was driving me to learn how technology-enabled health records would support my advocacy of process improvement.  Over three years of study, I learned about information and computer science theories, system design, system life cycles development model, workflow analysis techniques, usability concepts, user interface design strategies, database design and structure, and much more.  What I found was endless possibilities to improve healthcare delivery.  More importantly, I found that going forward with any activity needed to be deliberate and measured to achieve a meaningful outcome. 

The next step for me was to reinvent my personal approach to healthcare delivery.  So, I began to challenge myself by asking questions and seeking the answers.  How to use technology to enable safe and resilient healthcare delivery systems? I asked questions about how to identify, manage and address unintended consequences of technology deployment. These questions, I hoped, would help to guide my informatics journey, which was now underway.

Lesson Learned:  There is much to learn and many uncharted issues to explore. I believe that, despite my best efforts, some of my choices regarding new situations might not be the best and that other choices could be better.  It would be helpful for me to document my journey so that history will not repeat itself.