NURS 6441: Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology | Week 7

Have you ever seen a spider web outside in the first light of day? The dew of the early morning outlines the complex interconnections of the web. Though delicate, each strand is integral to the strength of the whole. To guarantee the success of a project, it is essential that the project manager is able to see the interconnections between each of the elements of a plan. The more complex a project, the more interconnections there will be. The ability to identify these interconnections and to discern how tasks depend on each other allows a project manager to construct precise schedules that reflect the key processes and timing of a project implementation. This information is vital during the planning phase of any project. NURS 6441: Week 7: Project Planning, Part II

In this week, you assess the importance of accurately identifying dependencies in a project timeline. In addition, you explore the specifics of planning a project, from the identification of the specific tasks in the project to the step-by-step development of the project schedule.

Learning Objectives – NURS 6441: Week 7: Project Planning, Part II 

Students will:

• Illustrate dependencies between tasks in a health information technology project timeline
• Assess the importance of accurately identifying dependencies in a project timeline
• Construct a schedule in Microsoft Project that illustrates dependencies*
• Produce a work breakdown structure (WBS) for a project in health care
• Synthesize insights related to evaluation and lessons learned*
• Synthesize insights related to scope, budgeting, risk management, and team building

* The Assignment related to these Learning Objectives are introduced this week and submitted in Week 9.

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Coplan, S., & Masuda, D. (2011). Project management for healthcare information technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

• Chapter 3, “Project Management”
  • • “Time Management” (pp. 59–68)

  This section of Chapter 3 focuses on how project managers may plan and control a project schedule to complete a project in a given timeframe. The chapter explains the various aspects of tasks, resources, and scheduling that are necessary for effective time management.

Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® guide) (6th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Author.

• Chapter 6 “Project Time Management”This chapter provides an overview of processes that can be used to manage a project so that it is completed on time: defining activities, sequencing activities, estimating activity resources, estimating activity durations, developing a schedule, and controlling a schedule.

Biffi, M.-H. (2008). Linking the estimate, the schedule and the cost control through a standardized WBS. AACE International Transactions, 1–11.

This article explores how a WBS can link almost all the aspects of a project. The author describes how a WBS can be the starting point for many other documents that organize a project.

Fretty, P. (2012). On the right track. PM Network, 26(9), 50–55.

This article examines the consequences of accelerating a project schedule and provides guidelines for when a project should be “fast-tracked.”

Pells, D. L. (2012). Seek the truth! [Special section, Editorial]. PM World Today, 14(2), 1–10.

The author of this editorial stresses the importance of honesty in project planning and project management in general, providing numerous examples in which honesty leads to better outcomes.

Somani, S. (2008, August). On deadline. PM Network, 22(8),  26.

In this article, the author discusses the importance of adhering to set timelines in project management.

Wing, K. T. (2010). The discipline of finishing. Strategic Finance, 92(1), 17–18.

This article provides guidelines for successfully completing projects. The author examines topics such as schedule conflicts, ineffective time management, and self-imposed discipline.

Office Online (2014). Link tasks in a project. Retrieved from https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Link-tasks-in-a-project-31b918ce-4b71-475c-9d6b-0ee501b4be57?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US

In this article, the author describes the different types of task dependencies and offers suggestions for choosing the correct dependency type.

Heather. (2008, July 28). Back to basics: Understanding task dependencies [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blogs.msdn.com/b/project/archive/2008/07/29/back-to-basics-understanding-task-dependencies.aspx

This article reviews the four types of dependencies available in Microsoft Project. The author provides guidelines for when each dependency type is appropriate.

Document: Individual Project Overview (PDF)

This document provides an overview of the Individual Project you will work on throughout this course.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013d). Planning, part II: Scheduling project activities and resources[Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 19 minutes.

In this presentation, the participants discuss the scheduling of project activities and resources and the software tools that can be used to do so. They also explain what is meant in project management by “the critical path.”

Discussion: Task Dependencies

Inserting an intravenous (IV) line is a multi-step process. Before attempting to find a suitable vein, nurses must gather the appropriate materials (tourniquet, catheter, IV tubing, etc.). Before puncturing a patient’s vein, nurses must first find one that is suitable. This process illustrates the project management principle of task dependencies. Each task in the process depends upon the previous one’s completion in order to begin.

Once a project’s scope has been defined and its work breakdown structure created, the next step is to generate a detailed and precise schedule for all activities in the project. This schedule allows for monitoring the project’s progress and provides a strategy for mitigating risk during the project’s life cycle. The identification of the relationships (dependencies) between the tasks in a health information technology project is critical as you determine a project timeline.

In this Discussion, you construct a brief example of a health information technology project that illustrates three of the four types of dependencies. In addition, you assess the importance of accurately identifying dependencies in a project timeline.

To prepare:

• Review this week’s Learning Resources, focusing on identifying dependencies and sequencing activities.
• Bring to mind a health information technology project on which to focus for this Discussion. Note: You will use this same project idea to complete this week’s Assignment.
• Consider the tasks necessary to complete the project you selected.
• Think about the relationship between the tasks (i.e., the dependencies).
• Reflect on why it is important to accurately identify the dependencies in a project timeline.

By Day 3

Post an example that illustrates dependencies, or relationships, between tasks in a health information technology project timeline. Include at least three of the four types of dependencies between tasks in the example. Assess the importance of accurately identifying dependencies in a project timeline.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, critiquing the validity of the tasks and dependencies in your colleagues’ example. Note any additional dependencies that might be important to consider. NURS 6441: Week 7: Project Planning, Part II

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Healthcare Information Technology

Introduction

Healthcare Information Technology takes many forms, and the types of systems used in healthcare vary from hospital to clinic to practice. While there are similarities between the various systems, each type has its own purpose and audience.

Meaningful use

Meaningful use is a set of standards for electronic health records (EHRs) and other components of health information technology (HIT) that are designed to improve the quality of healthcare. The term “meaningful use” has been criticized as being too broad and could be misleading, but it remains an important part of HIT strategy nonetheless.

The first meaningful use rule was published by the U.S Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in October 2004; this version focused on EHRs alone, but more recent versions have expanded their scope to include all aspects of HIT implementation within hospitals, physician practices and other healthcare entities across all sectors including public health agencies such as CDC’s National Immunization Program or state health departments

Electronic Health Records

Electronic health records (EHRs) are a set of medical records created, stored, and accessed via digital systems. An EHR is used to improve the quality of care, reduce medical errors and costs, and improve patient safety.

Interoperability

Interoperability is the ability of different systems to exchange information, regardless of the differences in their software or hardware. In health care, interoperability allows data to be shared across systems and organizations. Interoperability is a key requirement for health information technology because it allows for seamless communication with other systems and makes it easier for patients and providers to access their own records.

Data Security and Privacy

The healthcare industry is a data-driven industry, and it’s important to know how to protect patient confidentiality. Patients need to understand that their personal information will be used for the purpose of providing them with high-quality care. In addition, you should make sure your staff knows how important it is for them not to share patient information with anyone outside of your organization.

The role of healthcare providers in protecting patient data includes carefully selecting IT professionals who have been trained on HIPAA compliance standards and policies; ensuring that all IT staff members are aware of these policies; ensuring that any new software or hardware used by your organization meets all applicable federal regulations; maintaining up-to-date backup systems that include both physical tapes stored away from mainframes at multiple locations across town (i.e., not just “just in case” backups) but also cloud storage options like Amazon Cloud Drive or Google Drive so there’s no risk involved when something happens unexpectedly during normal business hours!

Health Information Exchange

Health information exchange (HIE) is the sharing of health information between organizations. HIE can be achieved through various methods, including electronic health records, a networked data repository and an exchange server. For example, if you have an appointment with your doctor at 6pm on Monday night and want to know whether they will accept your insurance coverage for that visit then you could use HIE to find out this information quickly before going into surgery on Wednesday morning! The benefits of HIE include:

• Increased patient safety because there are fewer errors made during medical procedures due to better communication between doctors or hospitals;

• Decreased cost of care by eliminating duplicate tests or procedures performed unnecessarily due simply lack thereof;

• Reduced duplication of effort among different providers thus reducing costs associated with research & development activities needed when developing new technologies/approaches;

Telehealth/Telemedicine

Telehealth is the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient monitoring, and medical education. Telemedicine is the delivery of medical care through interactive audio, video or other media in which patients can participate remotely via computer networks.

Telemedicine may include patient-to-patient consultations with a doctor or nurse practitioner via telephone; remote monitoring (e.g., telemetry) during surgery; remote treatments such as radiation therapy; consulting physicians from afar via video conference over the internet; sending instructions for prescription drugs to pharmacies across town via email technology instead of having them mailed out personally

Quality/Safety Reporting

Quality/Safety Reporting

Quality and safety reporting is a critical component of healthcare IT. It can be used to improve the quality of care, and to reduce the number of medical errors. Reporting can be done on a local level, or at a national level. In addition to being able to report directly from your practice or hospital, you may also want to look into using SaaS (software as a service) platforms such as Cerner’s Millimeter Health or Epic Systems’s Patient Event Management System (PEMS).

Conclusion

It is important to note that these initiatives are not meant to be an all-in-one solution. Rather, they are intended to be part of a multi-faceted approach to improving the quality and safety of health care delivery while also reducing costs and improving efficiency.