The pandemic has highlighted certain limits of the organization of information systems in health networks. To accelerate access to information, they need a single intuitive and secure tool to manage the entire management system. The BlueKanGo software can interface with other IT systems (HR, payroll and others) through API connections to create an integrated digital management system. To fully understand the challenges of digital transformation in healthcare, we interviewed Pedro Villagran, Vice President – Partner of BlueKanGo Canada.
Why go digital in healthcare?
Digital technology reduces or eliminates paper forms and office tools (e.g. Word, Excel, etc) in healthcare facilities. There is more to a digital solution than simply replacing paper forms by web pages or digitized forms on tablets. It is a whole new innovative concept by itself.
Digital technology removes static paper procedures and protocols and replaces them with dynamic documents. This will allow healthcare workers to focus on the essentials of their work to better serve users/patients and enhance their organizational performance. In a context of crisis management, organizational resilience, workforce shortages and the search for automated solutions, digital technology is the answer, without compromising the safety and quality of care and services.
How do we make Shift 4.0?
The contributions of digital technology are no longer limited to a single profession or service. This transformation must be thought of at the scale of the whole institution and dynamically interconnected with its constantly evolving internal and external environments. Here are the key steps to successfully implement a digital solution:
- Step 1: Have a clear vision for the digital enterprise
- Step 2: Map your business processes (BPM)
- Step 3: Make an inventory of your IT assets and possible interfaces
- Step 4: Conduct a survey including your employees and perform a diagnostic
- Step 5: Create game and financing plans
- Step 6: Establish a digital governance/culture
- Step 7: Start and “Never look back”
What are the expected results of implementing a digital solution?
Thanks to its adaptable interface, our platform can be used on smartphones (android or IOS), tablets or PCs, to consult work protocols and collect field information recorded in real time.
The digital’s benefits can be at various levels:
- Reduce costs;
- Switch from reactive to proactive mode;
- Eliminate or significantly reduce paper forms and eliminate unnecessary information processing on all non-added value tasks;
- Efficiently improve operational and strategic decision making.
In fact, the effectiveness of our solution was recognized and awarded the 2021 Innovative Healthcare Facility Award for the human resources project with the Montreal Heart Institute, at the “Prix TI en santé” Gala (Canada – Quebec). This project didn’t only improve the efficiency of the business process, but also provided personalized support adapted to the needs of each individual. This also can be noticed through the staff retention rate evolving from 60% to over 80%! This rate evolution is significantly important in a healthcare system suffering from the shortage of workforce. Based on this success, other UHCs, CIUSSSs and CISSSs have also followed the implementation of projects in HR, OHS, CMMS, internship management and others.
What do our clients think?
“This application facilitates the follow-up of situations, samples and their results and patient transfers. Real time alerts are generated after each action generates notifying the parties concerned. A real asset for traceability and multi-site exchange.”
“An essential tool in a crisis situation, it disseminates the procedures and protocols necessary for crisis management. Professionals are informed in real time of their updates.”
“This report displays real-time monitoring of the activation of the various crisis management plans, to report situations such as confirmed cases of COVID-19, under investigation, the status of stocks or check out the activity status of human resources (activity, normal, reduced…).”
“Documents (procedures and protocols) useful for crisis management in a dedicated national document base and will be alerted in real time of news via the publication of articles.”
“An innovative and dynamic solution that will make the probation process more efficient and interactive.”
Is the offer applicable to all institutions?
At BlueKanGo, we configure and customize our software for each client. Every client has his own specifications and needs. We do it in order to replicate what is done on a daily basis, from collecting information in the field, to tracking actions, triggering alerts and monitoring indicators.
The software is multilingual and multisite and can be easily adapted to any type of activity.
The features allow the current processes’ digitalization and enhancement: real-time alerts, insights, dashboards with dynamic analysis (Power BI) and secure data sharing.
Expert conclusion:
The search for efficiency is a major challenge for our healthcare institutions and the fight against the spread of the disease in times of pandemic is a race against time that mobilizes both public health authorities, staff and physicians of health institutions as well as the general population. Digital technology provides new and concrete means, particularly in the area of disseminating information at the right time and to the right people, in order to eliminate double and triple data entry which is a major risk of error, considerably increases the burden of processes and consequently reduces productivity, performance and access to care and services.
