Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Sociotechnical Aspects: Clinicians and Technology
Lecture:Sociotechnical aspects of health care
Slide content:Managing Sociotechnical Change Organizations look for the right people for the right tasks at all levels to lead change Organizations make a fundamental choiceeither adapt work processes to new technology or adapt technology to current workflow New technology can be designed to improve work processes Adapting work processes requires leadership to carefully manage change But adapting technology to current work processes is counterproductive in some cases No significant long-term improvements in care Less agile Less adaptable to future changes 17
Slide notes:How do organizations manage sociotechnical change? They look for the right people to perform the right tasks to lead change at all levelsincluding executive leadership champions. They ensure that the people in technology work together with clinicians in a collaborative and cooperative way to ensure that technology and information systems are implemented in the most effective manner possible for achieving improved patient care, clinical outcomes, and patient safety. Organizations make a fundamental choice: either they adapt work processes to new technology, or they adapt technology to current workflow processes. New technology can be designed to improve work processes. People may need to adapt their work processes to the new technology, but the long-term advantages offered by well-designed technology may be helpful in mitigating resistance to change. Adapting work processes requires leadership to carefully manage and curate the change. However, adapting technology to current work processes is counterproductive in some cases because theres no significant long-term improvement in care. Although this strategy may help to streamline some aspects of workflow, its a less agile method and less adaptable to future changes. One primary axiom of managing sociotechnical change is that new technology can be designed that will improve work processes, and work processes can be adapted to new technology. Having clinicians and technologists working together drives the appropriate balance of workflow and process change with any technology implementation. 17