ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors present two examples of tools that have been developed and observed through the phases in clinical practice. The first case describes a technology that failed to deliver the expected impact and the second case is the story of an electronic tool that delivered the expected impact on practice. The SWIFT score predicts the likelihood that a patient will be readmitted within 24 hours of discharge from the ICU. The score is calculated from parameters readily available in the electronic medical record and includes the ICU admission source; ICU length of stay. A more successful approach may have been to calibrate the SWIFT score to identify modifiable clinical features that, if acted upon, would reduce the risk of readmission. In addition to understanding the stakeholder’s requirements and establishing their buy-in, the implementation team needs to successfully embed the tool into the workflow.
