You’re excited about on-demand technology. You’ve seen the benefits that an interactive education and communication system delivered via television can offer patients, staff and the bottom line. Now you want to get your hospital to take a closer look at the technology. Is there anything that you, as a patient educator, can do to get the ball rolling?

Or . . .

Your hospital is already considering an on-demand system. As a patient educator, what should be your role? How can you assist in the decision-making process and help select the system that’s best for your organization?

Planting the Seed

If your hospital is not currently considering an on-demand system and you think it should be, there are steps you can take to put the technology on the radar screen of the decision-makers. In fact, as a nurse or educator, you are in a unique position to do so.

“Nurses are the soul of the hospital,” says Kathy Levine, VP of Professional Development and Organization at Allen Technologies. “They’re in tune with the needs of patients, families and staff. They’re a very educated and aware group, one that identifies solutions to problems.”

All these traits come in handy if you’re trying to sell your administration on the benefits of an on-demand system. While the decision to purchase on-demand technology is typically made at the executive level, your efforts can greatly influence whether such a purchase is made or even considered.

First, do your homework. Make a list of all the issues you see that might benefit from on-demand technology. For example, you might notice that nurses are often rushed to answer patients’ questions because they spend too much time pushing VCR carts around. Or you might see that the staff hasn’t gotten proper training on a new piece of equipment, since no one can seem to find the instructional video that the vendor left. And maybe you realize that family members aren’t getting the information they need, because they’re not available during the times when patient education sessions are conducted.

And don’t stop with observing your own department. Talk to staff members in other areas of the hospital to learn about their issues. Chances are, they too are experiencing problems that might benefit from an on-demand solution.

As an educator, you can see first-hand the benefits to be reaped from on-demand systems and the excitement that you generate can be contagious. Spread it around.

Once you’re familiar with your hospital’s challenges, document how on-demand technology could address each one. Keep in mind that the more you can tie the solutions to dollar figures, the more persuasive you are likely to be. For example, according to an outcomes study by Skylight Healthcare Systems, the average time needed to conduct a patient education session decreased by 14 minutes in hospitals where an on-demand system was installed. Requests to repeat sessions were dramatically reduced also, dropping from 85% to 6%. When you convert such savings in staff time into dollars, you’ve got some statistics that will surely get the attention of the decision-makers in your organization.

After you’ve developed your case for an on-demand system, start pitching it within your hospital. You might begin by making presentations in committee meetings. You could even invite on-demand technology vendors to give demonstrations and answer questions. Just be sure to use an objective, solution-oriented approach. Don’t play the “complain and blame” game; it’s not likely to win you any friends. And support is vital. In fact, if you can find allies from elsewhere in your organization – such as a patient advocacy group or the IT department – your influence will be that much stronger.

Finally, let’s not forget one of your most valuable assets – your enthusiasm. As an educator, you can see first-hand the benefits to be reaped from on-demand systems and the excitement that you generate can be contagious. Spread it around.

Finding the Right Fit

Once your institution is seriously considering on-demand technology, your role becomes even more critical. As an educator, you should be intimately involved in helping select the system that will best serve your hospital. After all, you’re in an ideal position to determine what both patients and staff need.

Hospitals where on-demand systems were purchased by the administration without input from those on the front lines learned some painful lessons. One hospital selected a system that was too complex for its elderly patient population to use without assistance. Another struggled with under-utilization of its system because the floor nurses were not convinced of its value.

Bottom line? Everyone who will be directly impacted by the technology (including education, nursing, facilities, and IT) should have some say during the selection process. This will help ensure that all involved parties have buy-in before implementation begins.

Okay, so now you’re on the evaluation team. How do you proceed? First of all, your hospital needs to prioritize what it wants from an on-demand system. Perhaps you want it primarily to streamline patient education. Or maybe your main goal is to improve patient satisfaction by providing Internet access and feature films. Whatever your priorities, they will drive the features of the system you select.

Next, you need to research the many on-demand technologies available. You should:

• Visit the vendors’ web sites to read about their solutions
• Learn more about each company, their size and the length of time they’ve provided on-demand products.
• Talk with company representatives. Consider: How responsive are they? Do they listen to your unique needs? Do they push a one-size-fits-all solution?
• Interview some of the vendors’ existing clients.
• Talk to colleagues at other facilities about their experiences.
• Get full demos of the systems you are seriously considering to evaluate both features and usability. Think about whether your patient population would find the technology easy to use.
• Consider the flexibility of the system. Can it be expanded or upgraded in the future? Can it interface with other technologies?
• Evaluate the levels of support that will be provided, both onsite and remotely, during the installation process and beyond. Ask to talk directly to the people who will be supporting you.

Cost Considerations

Of course, financial issues will also play a major role in the decision-making process. Your hospital will need to compare the overall costs of different systems as well as how they are structured. For example, some vendors’ business models require a significant investment upfront while others do not.

In addition to the direct cost of the system, related expenses must be taken into account. For instance, on-demand technology enables you to place a virtually unlimited number of educational videos at the fingertips of your patients and staff. If your current library is not comprehensive or up-to-date, you’ll need to budget for new titles.

Total costs must then be compared to potential savings and increased revenue in order to calculate the expected return on investment (ROI). An on-demand system can save hospitals money in the form of staff time or reduced costs for printing patient handbooks. State-of-the-art technology may help attract more patients and retain staff. Some hospitals even generate revenue by charging for certain services, such as movies, or by using the system to promote the sale of durable goods.

Hospitals where on-demand systems were purchased by the administration without input from those on the front lines learned some painful lessons . . . Everyone who will be directly impacted by the technology should have some say during the selection process.

Ultimately, choosing an on-demand solution is a complex decision that requires a lot of due diligence. After all, the system you select will become an integral part of the patient and staff experience.

“Hospitals don’t take the decision lightly,” says Valerie Fritz, VP of Marketing for Skylight Healthcare Systems. “They look at demos of the systems, check out references, and meet the install and support teams they’ll be working with. The decision doesn’t come down to dollars and cents, although financial issues are important. It’s about who they feel confident will provide a good service.”

Keeping the Faith

While some hospitals will choose an on-demand technology within a few months, most will take longer to make a decision, perhaps even 18 months or more. Over the course of such a long term project, enthusiasm may wane and momentum can slow, especially during the summer and over winter holidays. Once again, the educator has an important role to play. You can keep things moving forward by constantly bringing attention back to the project. Help maintain interest by looking out for new issues that reinforce the need for an on-demand solution.

It may also fall to you to make sure that the patient remains the focus of any decisions. No matter how great a particular technology may seem, if it doesn’t address the needs of patients and their families, it will ultimately be a waste of time and money. You are in a unique position to remind everyone involved in the project how their choices will impact the patient population.

While the road to acquiring an on-demand system may seem like a long and difficult one, the benefits that your facility will reap from the right technology make the process more than worthwhile. And what is the “right” technology? Simply the one that best meets your hospital’s needs.