ABSTRACT
Barwon Health is a large tertiary provider of acute health services for the community of Geelong, serving a catchment city and surrounding region of around 400,000 people. In addition to acute health services, Barwon Health has a comprehensive range of community-based programs including chronic disease management, home nursing, mental health and aged care services. Many organizations underestimate the emotional impact that their health IT initiatives will have on leadership, team members, and physicians. The level of change impact and the cultures current capacity for change are often minimized during the planning phases of the project. Introduce users to the concept of “at-the-elbow” support, on-site tutors, engagement specialists, and super users. When users know that help is a few simple steps away, and that there’s no need to call to the “no help desk” during those anxious first few days, they relax and focus more effectively.
