Transformation and training for a mobile workforce: Sharing lessons learnt

Abstract

The use of mobile technology has become more prevalent in the National Health Service as a sought after tool to improve quality and enable more efficient working. Across England, mobile working has been trialed with out of hours GPs, community nurses, midwives and emergency care providers. However, research has shown that many mobile working projects fail to fully realise the potential benefits or progress past pilot stage. This is often due to factors such as lack of appropriate strategy, business leadership or clinical engagement in the project. In December of 2013, Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH) Community Rehabilitation Services in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea piloted a mobile working solution. The App provided the community clinicians with real time access to clinical data and the ability to document information at the point of care. CLCH promoted close collaboration between internal Information Management and Technology, the Transformation Team and frontline clinicians to overcome previously identified barriers. The project was unique, as it had to meet the user needs of multiple rehabilitation teams that work across different geographic areas. In addition, the teams were made up of multidisciplinary allied health professionals such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists and rehabilitation assistants. At times the project was challenged by issues of user skill, compliance, and technical support and was faced with a further complexity of high turnover of staff due to rotational programmes. The aim of this presentation is to share valuable lessons learnt in the form of ten top transformation tips. The presentation will provide practical, useful strategies for transformation projects utilising mobile working technology. The following strategies will be discussed: 1. Clinician centred transformation 2. Evaluate current work practice – ‘ As is’ process International Journal of Integrated Care – Volume 14, 01 November – URN:NBN:NL:UI:10-1-116522– http://www.ijic.org/ International Digital Health and Care Congress, The King’s Fund, London, September 10-12 2014. 3. Collaborate to develop new ‘To be’ working process 4. Analyse user digital and technological skills 5. Appoint mobile working champions 6. Timely distribute devices and kit to encourage self-directed learning 7. Multi-dimensional training 8. Dynamic IT support 9. Monitor and measure 10. Capture creativity and evolution The onset of the digital age with advances in care technology has provided great opportunities to improve the outcomes and experience for patients whilst making the jobs of clinicians easier. At CLCH, an innovative mobile working project identified that smart deployment, training and IT support to use new technology is essential in order fully achieve such benefits. At present there is a significant gap in documented guidance on how to actually carry this out. This presentation highlights some of the effective methods used by CLCH to embed a mobile working solution. We hope that this presentation will influence other services to explore, consolidate and share their core principles for successful digital and technology transformations.