Use of information and communication technologies to support effective work practice innovation in the health sector: a multi-site study
Health systems face considerable challenges in meeting increasing demands for highly sophisticated services with limited resources and a shortage of health professionals. The introduction of information technology (IT) is a key strategy to meet these challenges. Health systems internationally are making vast investments in IT. Yet there is clear evidence that we may not obtain a good return on this investment as we do not know the best ways to use IT in the health sector to create new ways of working which improve productivity and safety. This project will produce tested models for how IT can be used to support innovative work practices and will measure the impact of these on productivity, safety, efficiency and cost of services.
Australia must develop and implement new models of health service provision to increase capacity and reduce errors within workforce and resource constraints. Working with one of the largest area health services in NSW this project will address this challenge. The results will directly benefit the community by creating and testing new models for how health professionals can use information technologies to improve the safety, quality and efficiency of health care services delivery. The findings will underpin national efforts to improve the productivity and effectiveness of the health workforce and its ability to respond to changing demands. The effective use of IT is a critical enabling factor for national productivity and growth.
Project aims:
This project aims to develop and test new models for using ICT to support work practice innovation which in turn produce measurable improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the health system. We will develop these models for three large-scale ICT systems being adopted in Australia and overseas (A. computerised ordering systems, B. ambulatory electronic medical record systems and C. emergency medicine information systems). We will:
- Investigate, measure and analyse the role of ICT in supporting work practice innovation
- Determine factors which enable or inhibit ICT-supported work innovation
- Measure the impact of ICT-supported work innovation on organisational productivity, effectiveness, efficiency and cost
- Apply the findings from 1-3 to develop and test new models for the use of ICT to support innovative work practice change in the health sector.
Lead Researcher:
Research Funding: ARC Linkage grant in partnership with Sydney South West Area Health Service 2009-2012
Collaborators:
- Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney
- Liverpool Hospital, Sydney
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney