Practice Recommendations

Recommendation 1.1: Health care organizations will ensure visible executive sponsorship throughout all phases of the implementation of the eHealth solution.

Recommendation 1.2: Executive leadership will establish a formalized governance structure with defined roles and responsibilities to guide and support all phases of the implementation and adoption of the eHealth solution, in alignment with the organizational culture, goals, and objectives.

Recommendation 1.3: Executive leadership will assess individual, organizational, and technical readiness for the implementation of an eHealth solution.

Recommendation 1.4: Project steering committees will establish an interprofessional team including representation from persons who are/were recipients of care to identify and select an eHealth solution to support the organization’s strategic vision and plan. A systematic process that encompasses the use of a decision matrix and structured evaluation guide is recommended.

Recommendation 1.5: Contract negotiation teams will collaborate with the project steering committee to support and inform the licensing agreement negotiations and to ensure that the terms and conditions discussed during the eHealth solution selection process are included in the contract.

      Recommendation 1.6: Project managers will use formal project        management methodology to guide the implementation of the        eHealth solution.

Recommendation 1.7: Project leads will collaborate with the steering committee to ensure that the right people are in the right place at the right time to lead and support various facets of the implementation of the eHealth

Recommendation 1.8: Project leads will collaborate with the steering committee to identify discipline-specific champions at all levels of the organization (representing each stakeholder group impacted) to build awareness of the system, and promote adoption among their peers and across the organization.

Recommendation 1.9:  Health care organizations will use a formal change management methodology to address the role-specific needs of the individual as they transition from the present to the future state.

Recommendation 1.10: Project leads will develop a stakeholder management plan early in the planning phase to fully engage all stakeholders for optimal implementation and adoption of the eHealth solution.

Recommendation 1.11: Project leads will collaborate with the steering committee to develop and implement a communication management strategy to control the delivery of targeted communication to specific stakeholders using the most effective media at the right times, with built-in channels for feedback. The communication management strategy should be initiated early in the planning phase and updated regularly throughout the project.

Recommendation 1.12: Health care organizations will incorporate usability processes throughout the implementation and adoption of the eHealth solution to enhance individual and organizational efficiencies, effectiveness, and user satisfaction.

Recommendation 1.13: Project leads will develop a comprehensive education and training plan to enable individuals to learn and integrate the new eHealth solution into their daily routine and workflows.

Recommendation 1.14: Project leads will collaborate with the steering committee to identify key indicators for monitoring and evaluation and use a comprehensive evaluation framework to guide the project evaluation.

     Recommendation 1.15: Health care organizations will have an ongoing       post-implementation operational plan that includes data governance       structures and processes that support sustainability and continuous   optimization of the eHealth solution.