Network Employees Collaborate,
Then Validate Workflow Design

In November and December, 300 clinical, financial and administrative employees and leaders came together during six days of multiple meetings to review workflow processes for their clinical areas on the new electronic Health Information System, recently named "Symphony."

Called "Validation & Reengineering Sessions," the purpose of these sessions is for staff members, or the "end users," who will ultimately be using the system, to review designed workflows, ask questions and provide input into processes and procedures for the new system. The sessions help identify potential barriers and opportunities, and employees can sign off on workflows initially built during the first phase, called the Design Phase.

The Design Phase: Starting with the Basics

Network Director of Clinical Informatics Bob Waker is one of many leaders whose time is completely devoted to the Symphony project. He works very closely with the Epic consultants to design, build and test the Epic product for Kettering Health Network.

"Early on, we met with the Epic team to discuss our goals. Based on how we answered their questions about system content as well as major directional issues, the system will be configured to how we work at KHN and what we want as much as possible," Bob stated.

"Epic has what they call a ‘model system’ based on the best systems built with other customers. It´s like a snapshot of the most successful systems, from which they ask us, ‘will this system work for you?’ From there, we work together to continue to tailor it to our Network. And when doing so, they look at best practices in all of the clinical and financial areas."

Validations sessions are a key part of fine tuning the model system.

"The validation sessions have brought people together from across the Network who are of similar professional backgrounds to discuss how patient care would flow within the Epic product. And while we often have different ways of doing things at each medical center, the interesting thing is that we are closer on things than we had thought," he stated.

Green, Yellow, Red: The Stop Light Method

Mary Schudrowitz, clinical informatics nurse specialist, leads the STORK (Obstetrics) team. She says that validation of workflow design is a two-way street. She said that not only did they seek input from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), or those appointed by their manager to represent their department in the Symphony project; they also called in their lactation consultants and also several obstetrics doctors to also help validate workflows.

Mary explains the stop light process used for validation. "Stoplight colors let everyone communicate their feedback on any given workflow, she said. "For example, green means ‘yes, I like this way of doing this workflow.’ Yellow is ‘I can live with this workflow if we could just change this one thing.’ And red says ‘I don´t like this workflow at all.’

Overall, Mary says, being part of this extensive project has been a good learning experience and at times challenging. "But overall, my experience has been very good," she said.

Involved and Engaged

The validation sessions have been successful because everyone is collaborating and is coming to consensus on workflows as a Network.

Patty Deis, a clinical informatics nurse specialist on the Symphony project, is the team lead for the ASAP group, or the Emergency Department application. "The validation sessions are a good way to get good input about efficiency and quality from our people at the bedside. I have found that our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), who are representatives of various departments who consult on the project, are doing a really good job of representing their co-workers and making sure the system fits what they do in their work."

Patty added, "Everyone has been very willing to standardize for the benefit of the patient. In the ASAP team, she said, "If we are not agreeing on something, I ask ...what is the best way to do our jobs and also do the best thing for the patient? Once we look at it in this way, we come to a decision much more easily." Patty added, "We want the end users very involved and engaged in the process. They make known what workflow works for them."

More sessions are scheduled for the month of February. To learn more about the Symphony project, or about upcoming validation sessions, click on "eHIS" on the KHN intranet home page - http://intranet.ketthealth.com. Please note that this link to the KHN intranet site is only accessible from Network hospital computers, not from your home computer.

Back to Top