Bajnok, I.RNAO eChampion Program

• This slideshow, presented at Medicine 2.0’08, Sept 4/5th, 2008, in Toronto, was uploaded on behalf of the presenter by the Medicine 2.0 team

• Do not miss the next Medicine 2.0 congress on 17/18th Sept 2009(www.medicine20congress.com)

• Order Audio Recordings (mp3) of Medicine 2.0’08 presentations at http://www.medicine20congress.com/mp3.php

Dr. Irmajean Bajnok, RN, MScN, PhDDirector International Affairs and BPG ProgramsCo-Director Nursing Best Practice Research Unit 

eHealth Champions: a Successful Strategy to Maximize Nursing's Adoption of eHealth for Quality Patient Care

Friday September 5th 2008

Presentation Overview• Background to project

– Purpose– Goals– Getting started

• Project components– Nursing and eHealth Champions Program

• Future initiatives

What is eHealth

eHealth is about using information technology to modernize our health system, to provide better and safer health care.

Why is eHealth important for Health Care in General?

• Supports improvements to patient care, access and

safety, and promotes enhanced accountability and

efficiency.

• Assists health providers to make evidence based

decisions in a timely manner

• Supports the health transformation agenda which

includes availability of consistent information across

sectors.

eHealth Benefits to Patients• Reduce repetition of obtaining assessment data from patients.

• Access to the latest diagnostic and treatment knowledge

• Reduced risk of error when diagnosing and treating patients and

clients

• Cross sector efficiencies and effectiveness

• Smarter spending of health care dollars thanks to better

accountability tools and system management

• Reduced unnecessary and repeated diagnostic tests

Why eHealth is important to Nursing

• Timely access to patient information• Ability to examine patient response to nursing

interventions over time• Access to best practices at the point of care• Consistency in documentation of assessment

and outcome data

RNAO Nursing and eHealth Project

The Nursing and

eHealth Project is an RNAO initiative funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC.)

Project Purpose

The purpose of the initiative is to facilitate the nursing profession’s involvement in the Ontario eHealth agenda and support nurses to take a leadership role in the adoption of communication and information systems in all health-care settings.

Project Goals• Increase awareness of Ontario's eHealth agenda and the

significant role for nurses in the strategy; • Identify baseline information related to the level of ICT

expertise within the nursing profession by age group, sector, and roles;

• Plan and deliver specific education initiatives to build nursing’s expertise in ICTs and relevant health care applications

• Identify nursing’s contribution to the MOH eHealth agenda; and

• Develop nursing specific eHealth initiatives related to the role of nursing across all health care sectors.

• Think Tank 2005

• Advisory committee, 22 members

• Focus groups, 2006

• On line eHealth Nursing Survey, 2006-2007

Getting Started

eHealth Strategic Domains

Knowledge

Accessibility Visibility

eNursing

SynergyKnowledge Awareness, understanding

facts/truths of all aspects of eHealth

Synergy Sharing, networking, communicating

Accessibility Usability, availability, convenience, entrée, equality

Visibility Exposure, publication, research, participation, inclusion

eHealth

• Active knowledgeable Advisory Committee• eChampion Program• Nursing and eHealth Education Program• RNAO eHealth Toolkit• Nursing Leadership Engagement• Communication

Project Components based on Assessment Phases

• Oversee the Project• Create Synergy• Act as a resource for eChampions Program• Actively involved in eHealth and Nursing

Program and eHealth Tool Kit• Provide link to nursing issues front line and

leadership • Ambassadors for eHealth and Nursing

Advisory Committee

eChampion Program• eChampion Role:

– Engage, Educate, Endorse, Evaluate, Explain, Enhance

• Two key components– workshop for nurses interested in increasing

knowledge and skills to champion eHealth in nursing

– Active eChampion network

eChampion Role• Support understanding,

acceptance and adoption of informatics in point-of-care activities for nurses to help identify effective support and implementation strategies for colleagues in the workplace.

eChampion Program• 12 workshops across Ontario from 2006-2008• 267 eChampions in total• Workshop consisted of:

– Presentation from experts in the field of eHealth– Activities that will clarify eHealth concepts– Strategies that will assist in supporting eHealth

– Resources of current eHealth programs/ information

eChampion Program• Regular eChampion network

teleconferences. Opportunity to:– Discuss successes and barriers to eHealth

awareness, education and adoption; – Learn about strategies to promote awareness

and adoption of eHealth in the workplace; – Update knowledge about eHealth and

informatics in nursing and health care. 

• Acute Care Hospital (125)• Ambulatory Care (10)• Cancer Centre (2)• Consulting (3 person)• Complex continuing care (2 person)• Education (1)• Home Health Care (8)• Long Term Care (25) • Psychiatric Hospitals/ Mental Health (5)• Public Health (15)• Other: combination of settings• Workplace settings unmarked (45)

All eChampion Workshop Participants by Sector:

Pre and Post Evaluations:

• Pre and post evaluations, 20 questions around levels of understanding and confidence, 10 point scale

• Increased ratings with post evaluation in all areas.– Numbers increased by 3 – 5 levels

Impact of eChampion Workshop

• 4 held from April 2007 – June 2008

• Topics Addressed:– Nursing and eHealth Course;– eHealth as a factor in sector integration;– eHealth and its impact on the nursing role– Assessing eHealth outcomes for better

information and care.

Champion Network Teleconference

Some Comments from eChampions re their Role

• “As an eHealth champion I am supporting my organization’s review of strategic IT investments, in order to advocate for the acceleration of projects related to our electronic clinical data system, to improve client outcomes and enhance nurses’ quality of work-life.”

Some Comments from eChampions re their Role

• “My involvement with the RNAO eChampion program has provided me with a diverse scope of knowledge obtained from sharing information at the eHealth Champion Workshops. It has given me the desire to spread awareness of nursing informatics and how it can optimize patient care and safety. ”

eChampion Role:

“… we have 3 eHealth champions who incorporate eHealth messages in all our work. We have numerous strategies to heighten awareness and promote engagement in the use of information technology. We highlight the benefits and importance of using information technology effectively to enhance patient care and promote safety through our project work and communications with clinical staff.

eChampion Role:

“ We encourage nurses to get involved in our corporate initiatives by inviting them to participate in user groups, focus groups and surveys. We emphasize the importance of information and communication technology (ICT) competencies and offer a "Computers 101" programme for novice users. As eHealth champions we are leading the way!”

eChampion Role

"As an eHealth Champion and Education Clinician . . . I was given the opportunity to leverage on the use of our Nursing Intranet site to link to the important work of the RNAO related to the eHealth Project.  Electronic communications and links to the eHealth Brochure, eHealth newsletter and the Nursing and eHealth Education elearning course have been prominently published on the Nursing Intranet site. This allows for an opportunity to communicate the key message of eHealth with front line nurses across our multiple sites in a timely and consistent manner. These strategies have raised awareness and initiated discussions about eHealth at various nursing forums." 

eChampion Role “Nurses are embracing new technology supporting safe

medication practice. Our workplace is currently implementing Automated Dispensing Units across four in-patient sites. This implementation further readies nurses for the upcoming changes as e-health continues to move in a forward direction supporting nursing care and patient safety.”

Impact to Date• Greater understanding and awareness of the

important of nursings’ full involvement in all aspects of eHealth by both nurses and other stakeholders

• Nurses are more involved in and vocal about how eHealth and nursing are best integrated.

• Less of a focus on eHealth as a challenge and more of a focus on making it work for better nursing care.

• More awareness of link between eHealth and quality patient care

Impact to Date

“ When educating new staff to our electronic nursing documentation I now have the confidence to answer the question most asked…

Why are we doing this and how does this benefit nursing and

patient care?”

eHealth in the Future• Expand the eChampion program

– Additional workshops, and different levels of eChampions– More structure to the role

• Tool Kit– Out in hard copy, Fall 2008

• Additional modules for the Nursing and eHealth Education Program

• Develop leadership engagement strategies• Canada Health Infoway partnership on eChampions • Stronger link between eHealth and Best Practice

Guidelines and evidence based practice

Making eHealth Come Alive for Nursing as a Part of Excellence in Patient Care: We are

Succeeding!

Knowledge

Accessibility Visibility

e Nursing

Synergy

eHealth

Questions and Discussion

www.RNAO.org

www.RNAO.org/eHealth_course