If you have a hard time explaining the difference between “strategic” and “tactical” planning, you’re not alone. However, when it comes to developing a strategy for a healthcare IT network, there is a paramount distinction. Simply put, strategy is the big picture; tactics are actions that deliver the strategy.

For years, I have been helping to make healthcare IT systems “talk” to one another. Thus, I have been witness to countless tactics being served up as strategies. A case in point is a former client who was complaining that one vendor’s system was creating duplicates throughout the network. Upon examination, I realized that the system in question was performing perfectly as designed. However, due to the lack of a strategic plan for the entire network, it was not receiving updates of patients seen elsewhere in the client’s network, and thus producing duplicates when it interfaced with the Master Patient Index (MPI) system. Many resource hours were wasted “cleaning up” duplicate patients throughout the network. Meanwhile, a simple addition of an inbound interface would have avoided the whole situation.

The most common reason for this type of situation is that no one wrote a strategic plan for interoperability. Each separate facility or department had its own IT department and worked with separate vendors.

To build a strategic plan for interoperability, senior staff must first determine the organization’s strategy, namely:

• Who are we?
• What are we ultimately trying to accomplish?
• How will we accomplish it?
• What resources will be required to accomplish it?

By answering these four questions realistically, a strategy begins to emerge upon which tactical decisions can be made. In turn, a good strategy executed creates success for the organization.

If the above-mentioned client had asked themselves first, “Who are we, and what are we ultimately trying to accomplish?” they may have answered something like:

We are a large healthcare network serving both an inpatient and an outpatient population at over 50 sites. Our goal is to provide the best healthcare and the best patient experience.

By taking the above and transforming it slightly to reflect an IT mission, they may have answered something like:

We are a large healthcare organization with an IT network that serves inpatient and outpatient facilities at over 50 sites. Our goal is to provide the best integrated user experience in order to provide the best patient experience.

 What is the best “patient IT experience?” We’ve all been to a facility where we’ve had to fill out the same forms at each department we visit. We can probably all agree that it would be a better experience if systems were integrated. This leads to the next question, “How will we accomplish it?” I believe a good answer for the IT department is:

To create the best patient experience and reduce data entry errors, we will reduce the number of times a patient has to register by interfacing this data between the system which originally captures it and all other patient-related systems in the network.

And thus, an IT strategy is born. Resources will depend on the number of connections that need to be made, which will vary by organization.

The bottom line is that integrated systems are a direct result of integrated thinking. At Hayes, we thrive on developing IT strategic plans, and are experts in system interoperability. If a corporate strategic plan is in place, we base our IT strategy on it. Most importantly, by taking an integrated approach, we ensure that the entire enterprise – and patients - win.

About George Gides
We at Hayes are very excited to introduce George Gides, who brings deep expertise in system interoperability solutions. Prior to joining, Hayes Gides spent 15 years at GE Healthcare, working with clients to integrate a variety of disparate vendor systems – including GE, Epic, Cerner and Allscripts. At Hayes, he will be a key player on our strategy team, developing interoperability architecture connecting our hospital and physician clients and their respective clinical and administrative software solutions.

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