부산대학교 도서관

Implementing new technology such as an electronic medical record or an electronic patient self-assessment tool (the Patient Care Monitor) in the community oncology private practice setting can be a challenge. Pre-implementation assessment and planning in six areas, leadership, process planning, readiness to change, staff commitment, staff training and compliance with change, can have a positive impact on the success of the technology implementation. To determine how assessment and planning for new technology, specifically a computerized patient self-assessment tool, affects its implementation and use. 43 of 79 practices, located across the nation who are utilizing a computerized patient self assessment tool to manage cancer related symptoms, responded to a survey about the factors involved in the successful implementation of the computer technology and the initiative itself. Results of the survey were evaluated to identify factors significant to the outcome metric, usage of the technology as measured by the number of PCM reports generated. Preliminary analysis shows that the strongest relationships were leadership, compliance with the change and process planning, in that order. Further analysis showed that usage was higher when Medical Oncologists referenced the Patient Care Monitor Report and lower when the practice was distracted by other major changes going on in the practice at the same time. Practices/nurses planning a major technology implementation need to assess and plan for strong leadership support, a process for implementing change, staff readiness to change, staff commitment, and staff training prior to initiating the change. Advance Practice Nurses can be utilized to help proactively facilitate the process. Most importantly, if the practice is involved in other changes, such as moving location, the implementation of new technology should be postponed. In addition, the more supportive and involved top leadership is in the process, the more likely the practice will be successful. Finally, our questionnaire showed that the more the doctors and nurses referred to the tool during the patient visit, the more likely the patients were to fill out the Patient Care Monitor in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]