NURS 6441: Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology | Week 10

NURS 6441: Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology | Week 10

Just as it is important to begin a new project with careful thought and consideration, it is equally important to complete the project with the same care. A project enters the closeout phase after all of its scheduled work has concluded. Though project teams may breathe a sigh of relief when entering closeout, there are still many tasks that must be completed before a project is fully finalized. Is there any final documentation that needs to be submitted? What expectations does management have concerning finalization? What lessons has the team learned? How does the project manager ensure all tasks are, in fact, complete? There is usually considerable variation from closeout to closeout, but each experience provides project managers with unique insights for future projects.

This week you analyze the closeout process of a health information technology project.

Learning Objectives – NURS 6441: Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology | Week 10

Students will:

• Analyze the closeout process of health information technology projects

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”
  • • “Close Phase or Project” (pp. 48–49)

  In this section of Chapter 3, the authors explain the processes that occur during a phase or project closeout. The text also outlines the components of a closeout report.

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

• Part 2, Chapter 6, “Closing Process Group”This section of Chapter 3 describes the processes used to finalize the activities necessary for completing a project, phase, or contract. The authors describe the inputs and outputs of closing a project and closing procurements.

• Chapter 4, “Project Integration Management”
  • • 4.7, “Close Project or Phase”

  This section of Chapter 4 describes the steps that a project manager must take during the process of closing a project or phase. The text also describes the final outputs of a closeout.

Gruber, D., Cummings, G. G., LeBlanc, L., & Smith, D. L. (2009). Factors influencing outcomes of clinical information systems implementation: A systematic review. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 27(3), 151–163.

The authors of this article describe a literature review on the factors that influence the success or failure of implementing clinical information systems. The article provides recommendations for managers and decision makers in the go-live portion of a project.

Make ‘go live’ go smoothly. (2012). Hospital Access Management, 31(7), 84.

This article describes the go-live of a new admission, discharge, and transfer system in a Florida-based hospital. The author specifies three points that helped the go-live occur smoothly.

Owens, K. (2008). Triumphs and tribulations of an EMR go-live. The Journal of Medical Practice Management, 23(6), 379–381.

In this article, the author describes the implementation of an electronic medical record system and explains what lessons were learned during the go-live process.

Document: Team Member Evaluation Form (Word document)

Use this form to complete your Team- and Self-Evaluations, which are due in Week 11.

Required Media – NURS 6441: Week 10: Project Closeout, Part I Healthcare IT

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013e). Project closeout [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.

In this presentation, Dr. Judy Murphy discusses the importance of conducting a sign-off meeting and building historical data for repeatable processes.

Discussion: Providing Support at Closeout

Closing out a project and providing subsequent support after its launch is not a one-size-fits-all process. Differing circumstances produce unique closeouts that take into account a number of situation-specific variables. For example, an electronic health record (EHR) system for an entire hospital will require additional support and a more extensive implementation process than a self-service check-in kiosk at a small orthopedic clinic. The hospital may need support from the EHR vendor for several weeks, whereas the clinic may only require an initial support period of a few days. Though there are many differences between individual project closeouts, all closeouts share some similarities in structure.

In this Discussion, you explore these commonalities and differences by analyzing the closeout process of an HIT project.

To prepare:

• Conduct research using the Walden Library and the Internet on differences between HIT project closeouts.
• Identify the common elements of most project closeouts.
• Think about the appropriate timing for a closeout.
• Consider how you might prepare for a closeout.
• Reflect on what might prevent you from receiving honest feedback from stakeholders. Develop strategies for obtaining meaningful feedback.

By Day 3

Post an assessment of best practices for preparing for a closeout. Explain what you believe to be the most important component of closing out a project. Describe strategies for obtaining meaningful feedback from all stakeholders. Justify your response using support from your research.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, using one or more of the following approaches:

• Critique your colleagues’ analysis of the project closeout process.
• Provide a validation or refutation of your colleagues’ views on when a project closeout is appropriate.
• Support or contradict your colleagues’ opinions about the most important component of closing out a project.
• Supply additional insight from a personal experience or research on how to prepare for a project closeout. NURS 6441: Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology | Week 10