Q: Business Change? Changing what?

A: Oh, changing many things! - people's mindsets, how they work, changing their perceptions of technology. For example, we look at different ways of working and how technology will improve their processes. We can be employed by a project team at any point in the project to be their arms and legs. It could be pre-implementation phase, implementation, or post implementation. At each stage we use different skills to help the Project manager baseline, roll out the project and gather feedback respectively.

 

Q: Can you give us an example?

A: Well, I work on the deployment of the Welsh Clinical Portal. So, take Electronic Test Requests (ETR). A health board will ask us to help increase usage. We'll learn exactly what the job of electronic test requesting entails - what types of tests need doing and where, what happens in the lab once the test comes in- and we'll go off to the wards and learn exactly what the users require. We'll look at statistics with the health board, analyse which departments need help and support, book training sessions for ETR, do on-the-spot training and demonstration meetings. Every Health board or ward has different needs.

 

Q: So, you will look where things can be improved and work with them?

A: Yes, exactly. We record all the issues they have. We talk with project managers, health board project teams and technical teams, because, so often it is hardware or IT needs that must be met. So our job is to make sure we work with everybody to find ways of improving the current situation.

 

Q: We'd imagine one of the most difficult aspects of the job is making sure everyone's on board and heading into a common direction.

A: It is! Sure, it's a little psychology and marketing.  But we aren't out selling. We aren't salespeople. This is about showing benefits of a project or demonstrating the benefits of the systems to the user. We work on the Welsh Clinical Portal (WCP) so, for example, we'll give staff tips on how to get the best out of it - the little pointers such as selecting your default landing page. We adapt our approach according to the user's needs and how WCP fits into their way of working. Ultimately, it's for the patient. They are our "customers."  All our benefits end with what it can do for the patient.

 

Q: How many projects are you working on at any given time with a staff of how many?

A: Altogether, we have a team of fourteen - going up to seventeen soon. We're working on numerous different projects across Wales, most of them linked to the Welsh Clinical Portal but the Welsh Patient Administration System and Cancer Informatics have their own teams also. For instance, there's a diabetes managment system that we're engaging with in Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board at the moment, showing how the system will improve patient care. But, because it's relevant, we'll talk to them about the entire WCP portfolio and what other parts of WCP they might need.

 

Q: You must have built up a collection of success stories then?

A: Oh, we have loads of success stories. ETR for example? Well at the end of last year in Singleton [Hospital in Swansea], over twelve weeks, they've increased usage from 29% to 61%. In Princess of Wales [Hospital in Bridgend] usage increased from about 20% to 51%. There've been increases in [Abergavenny's] Nevill Hall too. We have lots of success stories. But we work hard to achieve that. Each month, we engage with nearly 200 people and this figure is growing every month! We're busy but enjoying every minute of it.