A case study on provider satisfaction with change management supports for the implementation of an online booking solution for flu shot clinics

Many administrative tasks in primary care offices contribute to healthcare provider and staff burnout¹; healthcare providers spend a large portion of their day on administrative tasks, taking much needed time away from direct patient care, and contributing to work-life imbalance.^2,3

Digital health tools and supports are being developed to assist in alleviating the administrative burden and inconsistencies in office workflows in primary care. Primary care offices who choose to implement digital health solutions might benefit from additional support in their set up, customization, and deployment in order to avoid additional work when adopting and using the tool.

The change management and adoption team at the eHealth Centre of Excellence is a group of highly trained individuals with advanced knowledge and experience in implementing digital health tools. The change management specialists work one-on-one with primary care offices to ensure a smooth transition into new workflows that enhance the quality of care provided to patients, while minimizing administrative burden for physicians and clinic staff (Figure 1).

To explore the impact of having change management support from the eHealth Centre of Excellence, we interviewed one physician and two staff members at a clinic who received assistance from our team when implementing online booking for their flu shot clinics. We also utilized a survey sent out to other clinics in the same Family Health Team, who received similar supports, to inquire about their experience with our change management specialists.

Benefits

The participants who were interviewed discussed and answered questions regarding their experience working with our change management team. They were able to give examples of how working with the eHealth Centre of Excellence was beneficial to the implementation of an online booking solution for their flu shot clinic, which allowed over 350 patients to book their flu shot appointments online over an 8 week period in late Autumn of 2020. The clinic stated how the change management specialists assisted with a variety of elements to ensure online booking went according to plan, including:

• Reviewing a communication letter to patients
• Configuration of clinic appointment schedule​
• Instrumental, timely technical support​

The interview participants explained how the change management support was efficient, timely, and accommodating to their needs while implementing online booking. They were able to connect with a change management specialist remotely, over email and phone, with questions and to get support in setting up clinic schedules. ​

The clinic stated that it was a significant help to have the eHealth Centre of Excellence working on their behalf to implement online booking, as without the change management team’s knowledge and efficient problem solving, they would have needed to work overtime and on weekends in order to implement the tool, when their clinic and care providers already have busy schedules. ​

Additionally, all 11 participants responded “yes” when asked: “Would you recommend the support of eHealth Centre of Excellence to others interested in Online Booking?” This response is an indication of the client-centred efforts exhibited by the eHealth Centre of Excellence to assist in the implementation of online booking, and the satisfaction with the support provided.

¹Arndt, B. G., Beasley, J. W., Watkinson, M. D., Gilchrist, V. J., Tuan, W. J., Sinsky, C. A., & Gilchrist, V. J. (2017). Tethered to the EHR: Primary care physician work-load assessment using EHR event log date and time-motion observations. The Annals of Family Medicine, 15(5), 419-426.

²Patel, R. S., Bachu, R., Adikey, A., Malik, M., & Shah, M. (2018). Factors related to physician burnout and its consequences: A review. Behavioral Science, 8(98), 1-7.

³Erickson, S. M., Rockwern, B., Koltov, M., & McLean, R. M. (2017). Putting patients first by reducing administrative tasks in health care: a position paper of the American College of Physicians. Annals of internal medicine, 166(9), 659-661.