Barriers and attitudes about welfare technology and e-health in Bodø municipality

You can watch the webinar recording at the bottom of this article.

90% of those who use electronic pill dispensers in Bodø municipality experience mastery of their own medication. At the same time, they feel that they know the technology better than healthcare professionals. The responses emphasise how important it is to have a comprehensive and thorough project phase.

Are you working on introducing welfare technology or digital home support in your municipality? Here are the top five tips from the management and development team in Bodø municipality.

1. Which contact points does a citizen have with the municipality? Ally yourself with the employees there.
2. Involve the correct people.
3. Sell the wins to those whose work day will be affected.
4. Get managers and colleagues to share positive experiences.
5. Communication, communication, communication.

Which contact points does a citizen have with the municipality? Ally yourself with the employees there.

Employees at the administrative or allocation office often meet residents who need digital home follow-up. The challenge is that citizens don't know what to ask for or what services are available. Employees need to help them find the best solutions.

The eHealth management and development team in Bodø municipality teamed up with the allocation office and ran an intensive training programme. Employees are now well equipped to recognise the signs of a need for welfare technology and remember them when new cases come in.

Involve the correct people

When a project includes technology, it's pretty obvious that IT needs to get involved. But do we in the finance department remember as often? It's often in the transition from project to operation that you realise that critical personnel have been forgotten.

The IT department can help set up the technology, manage the equipment inventory and provide user support.

When finance staff understand the project, costs are recognised and understood. At the same time, they can quality assure the budget and figures used to report benefits.

This leads us to the next point.

Sell the wins to those whose work day will be affected

When budgets are tightened, spending must be reduced. But gains are not the same as cutting jobs. There are other types of benefits, and the team in Bodø is careful to explain these to employees in the organisation. They promote benefits such as increased quality and avoided costs. The nurses' days may not be any quieter, but the citizens are better off!

Get managers and colleagues to share positive experiences

Also known as anchoring. Anchoring is needed at all levels for the project to succeed. It cannot be run alongside the organisation. When managers understand and are able to use the technology to be introduced, they can be the driving force in their own environment. They must grasp the opportunities with both hands.

What's more, managers need to know that the hours set aside for the project are sacred. They should not be rolled into the hours of daily operations. The health service will not be less pressurised in six months' time. We need to set aside time now to make it better.

If your colleague is positive about a new technology, you and your users will also be more positive. That's why part of the project in Bodø was to get healthcare professionals and middle managers to make film clips for a training and information campaign. The campaign encouraged employees to watch the films and reflect on them as a team.

Communication, communication, communication

Underpinning all the work is a solid layer of communication, training and information campaigns. The benefits must be made visible. Critical questions must be answered properly. Everyone must get information where they are.

In addition to ensuring good communication with external partners such as the hospital and GPs, Bodø municipality runs internal information campaigns. The municipality has many employees, and not everyone is aware of all the services on offer. Even if the project manager gives many presentations in various forums, he or she will still not be able to reach everyone.

Communication goes both ways. When relevant stakeholders are aware of the project, they can participate in mapping and brainstorming.

When all five steps are in place, the project will be a success and there will be a smoother transition to normal operations. Good luck to you!

Recording

You can download the podcast to your mobile on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. Search for ‘Norwegian Centre for E-health Research’.