Presentation
HE6 - Combatting System Silos: Leveraging Human Factors Practitioners to Navigate System Integration Challenges
SessionPoster Session 2
DescriptionHealthcare is characterized by highly complex systems that depend on effective communication and coordination among both the personnel and technologies involved. Successful integration of independently functioning components can enhance the overall safety, efficiency and usability of the collective system. However, healthcare frequently suffers from system silos, which can lead to operational inefficiencies, duplicate efforts, and suboptimal patient care. Other downstream impacts of poorly integrated systems can include increased healthcare costs, waste of resources and potential patient safety risks. Human factors (HF) practitioners are uniquely positioned to help organizations navigate system integration challenges by identifying system disparities, inefficiencies, and gaps through a systems thinking approach. The findings and perspectives of HF are essential for the working groups managing integration strategies across different system types, whether they are software, environmental, or human centric systems.
Sinai Health System, a tertiary health science centre in Toronto, Canada, is leveraging their embedded HF team in efforts to bridge silos within their institutions. This includes having the team provide guidance on pain points, bridging interprofessional communication gaps, and highlighting both the benefits and risks of integration solutions being explored. The presented work discusses the approaches, challenges and key takeaways from a series of case studies where embedded HF practitioners were engaged to help navigate system integration within different clinical environments. Specifically, these cases examine disparities in health information systems at an inpatient hemodialysis clinic and the integration of software and clinical workflows in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic.
The first case examines challenges stemming from the lack of interoperability between two electronic patient record (EPR) systems in a hemodialysis clinic. Despite being located within a hospital inpatient unit, the clinic operates as a satellite site for a different hospital, complicating information exchange. Both institutions operate independently and utilize different EPR systems for managing patient information, ordering medications, and documenting care. HF was engaged to systematically identify the full scope of issues due to this lack of information exchange and propose recommendations to address patient safety concerns, disparities in medication administration records, and duplicate workloads.
The second case study focuses on the creation of a new out-patient clinic for the hospital, transitioning from dozens of physicians managing isolated, non-standardized practices to operating in a shared space. This project faced both software and human-centric disparities that needed to be addressed to achieve efficient and standardized patient care. HF practitioners were engaged to consolidate an understanding of current physician and administrative workflows, identify clinical communication needs, and guide the creation of an integrated unit clerk support model. This model aimed to meet in-person physician and patient support requirement, address physical space limitations, and foster a cohesive patient experience.
Despite the differing clinical contexts, both case studies demonstrated how practical HF approaches can be leveraged to combat system silos. This work illustrates the application of empirical HF strategies grounded in frontline observations, interviews with current state experts, analytical methods and discussions with the technical and leadership groups needed for change management. These projects were only feasible through strong support from key change makers within the institution and an evolving comprehension of how human factors could be leveraged in understanding complex processes. In addition, involvement was empowered by the long-term demonstration of the versatility of HF methods, along with the relationships cultivated through embedded HF practice.
Navigating system integration in healthcare remains a significant challenge. As these case studies demonstrated, HF practitioners can, and should, play an essential role in supporting efforts to break down silos and work towards more integrated systems.
Sinai Health System, a tertiary health science centre in Toronto, Canada, is leveraging their embedded HF team in efforts to bridge silos within their institutions. This includes having the team provide guidance on pain points, bridging interprofessional communication gaps, and highlighting both the benefits and risks of integration solutions being explored. The presented work discusses the approaches, challenges and key takeaways from a series of case studies where embedded HF practitioners were engaged to help navigate system integration within different clinical environments. Specifically, these cases examine disparities in health information systems at an inpatient hemodialysis clinic and the integration of software and clinical workflows in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic.
The first case examines challenges stemming from the lack of interoperability between two electronic patient record (EPR) systems in a hemodialysis clinic. Despite being located within a hospital inpatient unit, the clinic operates as a satellite site for a different hospital, complicating information exchange. Both institutions operate independently and utilize different EPR systems for managing patient information, ordering medications, and documenting care. HF was engaged to systematically identify the full scope of issues due to this lack of information exchange and propose recommendations to address patient safety concerns, disparities in medication administration records, and duplicate workloads.
The second case study focuses on the creation of a new out-patient clinic for the hospital, transitioning from dozens of physicians managing isolated, non-standardized practices to operating in a shared space. This project faced both software and human-centric disparities that needed to be addressed to achieve efficient and standardized patient care. HF practitioners were engaged to consolidate an understanding of current physician and administrative workflows, identify clinical communication needs, and guide the creation of an integrated unit clerk support model. This model aimed to meet in-person physician and patient support requirement, address physical space limitations, and foster a cohesive patient experience.
Despite the differing clinical contexts, both case studies demonstrated how practical HF approaches can be leveraged to combat system silos. This work illustrates the application of empirical HF strategies grounded in frontline observations, interviews with current state experts, analytical methods and discussions with the technical and leadership groups needed for change management. These projects were only feasible through strong support from key change makers within the institution and an evolving comprehension of how human factors could be leveraged in understanding complex processes. In addition, involvement was empowered by the long-term demonstration of the versatility of HF methods, along with the relationships cultivated through embedded HF practice.
Navigating system integration in healthcare remains a significant challenge. As these case studies demonstrated, HF practitioners can, and should, play an essential role in supporting efforts to break down silos and work towards more integrated systems.
Event Type
Poster Presentation
TimeTuesday, April 14:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
LocationFrontenac Foyer