AHIC Review Course 3 - Change Management, Implementation, Testing, and Rollout of Health Information Systems

A set of Question-and-Answer flashcards covering change management concepts, Kotter's model phases, implementation/testing/rollout tasks, training, data migration, and rollout planning from the provided notes.

What is change management as defined in the lecture?

The application of tools, processes, skills, and principles for managing the people side of change to achieve the required outcomes of a change project or initiative in health information system implementations.

Why is change management important in HIS implementations?

Because rapid, simultaneous changes can disrupt workflows and cause emotional responses, leading to poor adoption or unsafe care if not managed.

What are the three change aspects to plan for during HIS changes?

People, Processes, and Technology.

Who is a leading thinker associated with Kotter's change model mentioned in the notes?

John Kotter.

How many phases are in the three-phase structure of Kotter's model described?

Three phases: Create a climate for change; Engage and enable the organization; Implement and sustain the changes.

What are Phase I steps in Kotter's model?

Establishing a sense of urgency; Building a guiding coalition; Creating a vision for the future state.

What is the purpose of establishing a sense of urgency?

To communicate what can be improved now, what is better in the future, and why we must change now.

What is the role of the steering committee in Phase I?

To create the change climate by providing leadership and a consistent positive perspective to keep the implementation moving.

What is the function of a guiding coalition?

To identify natural leaders, form a cohesive team, and lead the analysis, design, testing, and post-implementation support.

What does creating a vision for the future state involve?

Communicating what the future should look like and what that means for key players.

What is Phase II about?

Engaging and enabling the organization through communication of the future state, empowering staff, and planning for short-term wins.

Name tools to communicate the future state in Phase II.

Vendor demos, videos, Q&A sessions, role-playing, site visits to similar successful implementations, and open feedback channels.

What does empowering others to take action include?

Giving staff clear authority, involving them in vendor selection, training schedules, and workflow redesign; delegating leadership roles.

What is meant by short-term wins in Phase II?

Recognizing high achievement, promoting good ideas, and celebrating successes to sustain momentum.

What is Phase III about?

Implementing and sustaining the changes; focusing on problem areas, training, and ongoing monitoring and support.

Knowledge Check #1: Which area is NOT typically planned for in an HIS implementation?

Facility (the planned areas are People, Process, and Technology).

What are major tasks during Implementation, Testing, and Rollout activities?

Design future state workflow and system setup; establish measurable goals; perform workflow assessment; redesign; ensure system design meets workflow requirements; plan for system changes, configuration, or customization; core guidance team leads.

What should a comprehensive testing plan include?

Scope, environment requirements, testing strategy and schedule, a test plan listing tested functions and responsible roles, deliverables, issue/risk procedures.

Name common testing techniques in HIS implementation.

Unit testing, functional testing, system testing, integration testing, acceptance testing, and regression testing.

How might testing be simplified using ONC templates?

Four techniques: unit and functional testing, system testing, integration testing, and performance/stress testing.

What is post-go-live testing?

Testing conducted before the official production go-live as part of rollout planning.

What does backload historical information involve?

Migrating historical data from the old HIS to the new system: defining migration requirements, developing the migration program, and verifying migrated data.

What should training and education focus on?

Audience assessment, role-based training plans, identifying super-users, multiple training methods (classroom, e-learning, hands-on, one-on-one, peer training), and retraining/continuous training post-implementation.

What should rollout planning address?

Rollout strategy (big-bang vs phased), downtime/recovery plan, countdown task list with responsibilities, activation and post-implementation support, criteria for backing out, and timeline to return to business as usual.

What does the patient portal example illustrate about change management?

Merely communicating portal availability is not implementation; organized change management across people, process, and technology is needed for adoption.

Name a key reference/resource for change management in health IT mentioned in the notes.

Health IT Playbook (Electronic health records) or Kotter 8 steps as sources.

What is the bottom-line mindset for change management in HIS projects?

Do not stop; continuously monitor and intervene to maintain momentum.

What does data migration coordination entail with vendors?

Defining migration requirements, developing the data migration program/setup, and verifying migrated data with both the new vendor and the previous vendor.

What is downtime and recovery planning in rollout planning?

Planning for system downtime during cut-over, including staff schedules, support presence, and tools to use during downtime.

What is post-implementation support activation planning?

Defining the official production decision-making process, criteria for backing out changes, and the path for returning to business as usual.